Champion, please stay!

Chapter 247, page 245: The Three Superstars of the New Generation

首节32比22、第二节30比24、第三节30比23，三节打完，尼克斯队92比69领先骑士队23分。

In the final quarter, David Lee and Curry, along with Chalmers, Barnes, and Gibson, held off James' comeback attempt with Varejao and three shooters.

Despite this lineup, the Knicks are still holding the advantage and gradually widening the gap...

Just like the 26 minutes James played in the first three quarters, when the Cavaliers were on offense, their guards would just stand on the wings and wait to shoot, never going up to ask for the ball... Daniel Gibson was willing to receive the ball and go one-on-one, but his one-on-one play was something even Nate Robinson couldn't do against him in the early part of last season.

Jamison, the center, actively shared the shot attempts and played very well. Apart from Yi Shui, no one on the Knicks could contain him one-on-one, but he was the only one on the Cavaliers' frontcourt who could play like that.

James scored 23 points and Jamison scored 24 points in the first three quarters, while the rest of the team combined for only 22 points.

For the Knicks, Curry and Gibson's pick-and-roll, David Lee and Chalmers' mid-range and long-range support, and Barnes' drives to the basket were all very effective team offense. When they got tired, David Lee would go for the drives.

Yi Shui sat on the sidelines, watching Curry get booed by Cleveland fans every time he got the ball, and how he would attack harder after being booed. He couldn't help but laugh.

Although the primary school student was born in Akron, most Akron people, living on the south bank of the Ili River and at the mouth of the Kaihoga River, prefer to identify as Cleveland people when they go out.

After all, Akron is a tiny place with a population of only about 20. It's so small that you can't even find it on a less detailed map. People from out of state generally consider Akron as part of the Cleveland metropolitan area, which has a population of over 200 million.

The Knicks scored 35 points in the final quarter, more than in the first three quarters, while the Cavaliers also scored more points in the final quarter. James went 7-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 18 points and leading his team to 27 points in the quarter.

The match ended at 10:30 p.m.

易水出战31分钟，22投14中，其中三分球2中2，加上6中6的罚球，拿到36分5板2助攻2抢断1盖帽，三节打卡下班。

库里拿到24分6助攻、大卫-李拿到25分10板3助攻，与易水携手率队，以128比97屠杀骑士队！
When the game ended, countless fans at Quicken Loans Arena broke down in tears. After the game, Cavaliers fans rioted and marched late at night, like locusts sweeping across the country, leaving few shops along the street unscathed.

The group of fans who led the protest actually just wanted to gather a large crowd like they did during last year's playoffs and cause trouble for Yi Shui and the others outside the Knicks' hotel. However, they couldn't find the Knicks' hotel, and the protest was dispersed by the police late at night. Only then did the group realize that the Knicks were staying in a resort villa in the suburbs, not in the city. They angrily shouted, "So what if you have money?"

However, those who followed the trend had ulterior motives and caused serious damage...

It's no wonder that true Cavaliers fans can't accept a loss; a 31-point deficit is something they simply couldn't accept and never expected!
Even in the game where they had just completed a major trade and were dragged down by the "shark," they only lost by 19 points despite their crushing defeat.

Two days ago, they were still leading by one point with one minute left in the game. If West hadn't failed to catch the ball at the last moment, they would have had a chance to win the game.

Back at home, they thought they were sure to win the game, but they ended up losing like never before!

...

Not only were Cavaliers fans surprised by the crushing defeat, but the victorious Yi Shui team was also caught off guard.

In January, the Cavaliers lost to them by 19 points. The day before yesterday, the Cavaliers played even harder than they did in January, and they lost by two points. Yi Shui is prepared for a tough battle.

As a result, the offense in regular time lost the passion of the night before, and the players just stood around aimlessly; the defense also lost its initiative. There were still help defense, switching, and rotations, but it did not achieve the effect of 'unlimited switching' at all.

Back at his villa in the suburbs, Yi Shui went online and saw that the media and fans were shocked by the result of the game. Even the New York fans did not expect such a resounding victory.

Until the early hours of the morning, Yi Shui and his teammates played a few small rounds of cards. After losing more than $500, he decided to stop playing and go back to his room to sleep. Curry, who had already lost more than $800 and stopped playing, found him and said that he had seen the news that the Cavaliers played so badly tonight because of internal strife!

There was some juicy gossip to be had, so Yi Shui went to the bar where Curry was browsing the news to join in.

An inside source within the Cavaliers told TNT that after the Cavaliers lost their game the day before yesterday, Delonte West and LeBron James got into an argument in the locker room.

Today... no, let's call it yesterday. Last night, during the preparation phase, West and James clashed again. It started when James said, "We need to play well on the key plays tonight," and West angrily criticized James for his poor one-on-one ability. They started arguing again and decided to settle the score with a one-on-one game.

The source did not disclose the outcome of the one-on-one match, only stating that the training video from yesterday morning was confiscated by James' team. A teammate was recording with his phone, which was also taken away, and he was compensated with a brand new phone.

The end result was that the entire Cavaliers team's mentality was affected, and they collectively lost motivation for the game that night.

Curry, looking at the leaked information, said: "West is really brave. Williams (Mo), Jamison, Gibson (Daniel), Big Z... they didn't dare to talk back when James insulted them, but West is so tough. Big, who do you think would win in a one-on-one?"

Yi Shui didn't answer, but instead asked, "Who do you think would win in a one-on-one fight between you and James?"

Curry answered without hesitation, "Of course it's me..."

The two of them burst into laughter at once: "Hahahaha..."

While browsing forums and following the gossip, Yi Shui suddenly realized something—the media and fans' attention was no longer on the Cavaliers' win or loss itself.

Numerous posts emerged criticizing West for affecting team unity.

Of course, there were also New York fans, Los Angeles fans, Boston fans... who stood up to mock the Cavaliers fans for blaming the loss on the role players.

But the discussion surrounding the Cavaliers' 31-point loss has significantly decreased!

Then, articles claiming 'internal strife within the team, poor performance across the board, and James carrying the team alone to defeat the league's best team' appeared.

Yi Shui opened the system and took a look.

Two days ago, he scored 5 points in the final moments, finally narrowing the gap between him and James to two points. Now he has widened the gap to 7 points, trailing 109-116!

他今晚三节拿到36分，詹姆斯那边全场打了44分钟，33投15中、其中三分球7中2、加上14中9的罚球拿到41分……毁灭吧！

Fortunately, the 'Imperial Power' quest has been completed, and the basic reward has been obtained: Burst Power +1.

Strength remains unchanged at 92, but explosiveness has increased from 93 to 94.

The last game against the Cavaliers is next month, so there's no rush.

However, Yi Shui really wanted to play another game against the Cavaliers right away, to strike while the iron was hot... but he was also worried that if the lonely king scored high again, his emperor wouldn't be able to handle it.

...

The Knicks swept the Cavaliers, securing their sixth consecutive win and bringing their record to 47 wins and 11 losses!
Thanks to this 31-point blowout, the Knicks' net rating soared to 8 points. Although it's not as high as the Cavaliers before they acquired Jamison, they are currently the only team with a net rating of 8 points, barely managing to take a commanding lead over the Magic and Cavaliers.

The next morning, the Knicks headed south for a game against the Cavaliers, which marked the start of their long six-game road trip.

Next up are the Hawks, Magic, Hornets, Grizzlies, and Thunder!

This is the most brutal stretch of the Knicks' second half of the season. Although there are no back-to-back games in the six-game road trip, when the schedule was first announced, five of the six opponents were expected to make the playoffs. These five teams were considered to be among the top five in the East and the top eight in the West at the time. Now the Hornets have collapsed due to Paul's season-ending injury, but the Thunder have risen.

On the 4th, the Knicks traveled to the Phillips Arena in Atlanta to play the Hawks on the road.

After Bibby's performance plummeted, the Hawks had virtually no chance of beating the Knicks should both teams be playing at their best.

Last season in the playoffs, the Hawks and Knicks were tied 2-2, relying on team offense. Now, the Hawks' team offense has declined, while the Knicks' defense has improved significantly compared to last season. It will be difficult for the Hawks to score more than 100 points against the Knicks.

However, the Hawks' team defense is actually quite effective at limiting their run-and-gun offense, but their defensive ceiling is limited.

Josh Smith's one-on-one defense against Yi Shui is becoming increasingly weak, and Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson's defense against Yi Shui off the ball is also getting worse.

Tonight, the Knicks' run-and-gun offense didn't perform well either. Apart from seizing opportunities and having Yi Shui or Swift drive to initiate counterattacks, they barely managed to execute their fast-paced style.

However, the Hawks were only able to push the Knicks into half-court sets, but the half-court sets did not stop the Knicks' offense, because Yi Shui's off-ball movement could at least draw the attention of two opposing defenders!

Yi Shui once again faced tight defense from the Hawks tonight, making only 8 of 18 shots, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, plus 5 of 6 free throws, scoring only 22 points.

But his teammates made 31 of 62 shots, and apart from him, their shooting percentage was as high as 50%! Including him, the shooting percentage was as high as 48.75%, which was 10 percentage points higher than usual.

The Hawks simply reduced their shot attempts, but failed to reduce their scoring efficiency.

The Hawks themselves shot 34-for-79, a mere 43% field goal percentage, which is one percentage point lower than their season average.

Yi Shui didn't have many opportunities to shoot tonight and didn't score much, but he had just played against the Hawks a few days ago and was prepared. In addition to 22 points, he also had 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks!

Yi Shui recorded his third triple-double of the season, leading the Knicks to a 101-89 victory over the Hawks!
After defeating the Hawks, Yi Shui and his team traveled to another city on the South Coast—Orlando.

...

On March 6th, the Knicks visited Amway Arena to challenge the Magic.

At 6:40 p.m., Yi Shui and his teammates entered the venue amidst a deafening chorus of boos.

The hostility from the fans at the stadium was even stronger than during last season's Eastern Conference Finals.

Before the game, when Yi Shui went online, he could feel it from the comments of the Magic fans.

The Celtics are currently in a 'half-dead' state; 50 wins are out of the question, and with bad luck, even 45 wins is uncertain.

The Cavaliers were just thrashed by the Knicks by 30+ points.

The Hawks are also in a slump. They might have a chance to win 50 games. With a Princeton offense and iron-clad defense, they are still very strong against weaker teams, but that's about it.

Wade's team is nothing to fear...

Magic fans believe that only the Knicks and Pacers could pose a threat to their continued run to the NBA Finals.

Moreover, Magic fans are even more confident about winning the championship.

Two days ago, the Magic, playing at home, defeated the Lakers 114-108. With this victory, the Magic have now won at least once against each of the other 29 teams this season.

For two consecutive years, they achieved the feat of not being swept by any team in the regular season.

In the last five years, only two teams have accomplished this feat: the 64-win Pistons in the 2005-06 season and the Magic last season and this season.

Before that, this achievement wasn't so special. From the 97-98 season to the 04-05 season, the Spurs only managed 53 wins in the 99-00 season, when they were swept by the 67-win Lakers in the regular season. They weren't swept in the other 7 seasons.

ESPN data expert Hollinger analyzed that the NHC rules, spearheaded by Stern, had a phenomenal impact on the entertainment value of basketball.

It effectively weakened the defensive performance of purely defensively strong teams and significantly improved the offensive conditions of weak teams, narrowing the gap between strong and weak teams and weakening the stability of strong teams.

After the home team entered the stadium, the lights came on, and Yi Shui looked at the big screen.

The Knicks have a record of 48 wins and 11 losses, ranking first in the league, and are undefeated since the All-Star break.

The Magic have a record of 44 wins and 16 losses, ranking second in the league. Since the All-Star break, they have only lost to the Rockets, winning the other five games.

In addition to the two teams' records and the performances of key players, another statistic was displayed on the big screen: from last season to now, the Magic have a 4-1 record against the Knicks in the regular season and a 4-1 record in the playoffs.

Yi Di: You really know how to show off, you really know how to brag!

However, on the 28th of last month, the big screen at Madison Square Garden also displayed the Knicks' head-to-head record against the Cavaliers over the past two seasons, with the Knicks winning 8 and losing 1 in the regular season and playoffs.

We're all the same...

The match started at 7 p.m.

Both teams are very familiar with each other. Although there have been changes in the lineups, the playing styles have not changed much. There is no need to probe; they can go straight for the kill!
The Knicks dominated the first quarter, shooting 13-for-23, including 5-for-9 from three-point range. Yi Shui alone made 3 three-pointers over Lewis and Pietrus.

With 6 of 8 free throws, the Knicks racked up 37 points in the first quarter!
The Magic also launched a full-scale attack in the first quarter, making 13 of 24 shots, the same number of field goals as the Knicks, but only 2 of 6 three-pointers, plus 4 of 6 free throws, for a total of 32 points.

Despite the Magic acquiring Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson in a "free" deal during the offseason, and also bringing in White Chocolate Williams, which further improved their shooting quality, the absence of Hedo Turkoglu and Rafer Alston meant that their catch-and-shoot opportunities became worse, making them more reliant on touch rather than tactics.

在尼克斯队投篮手感好到爆、进攻起飞的情况下，魔术队能咬住比分，纯靠霍华德单节6投4中加上4中2的罚球拿到10分6板、卡特长两分单打投篮5投3中加上2中2的罚球拿到8分撑着。

Chandler, who has been highly praised for averaging 8.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25 minutes per game over the past 5 games, was thoroughly outplayed by Howard tonight.

Without a reliable center or a sufficiently tall power forward behind him, the gap between Chandler and Howard is quite obvious.

The Knicks took a 5-point lead in the first quarter, 37-32!
In the second quarter, the situation began to reverse.

The Magic's shooters are on fire!
Nelson, Jason Williams, Carter, Redick, Pietrus, Lewis, Ryan Anderson – this group of shooters is the best in the league! Even better than the Cavaliers' shooters!
The Orlando Sentinel once defended the Magic's decision not to offer Hedo Turkoglu a multi-million dollar salary—when Turkoglu was on the team, everyone knew we were good at three-pointers and would defend against that; without Turkoglu, our shooters are still great, and nobody knows when our shooters will hit their shots, making us even more unpredictable and giving us the same unpredictable scoring ability as Kobe and Michael.

This absurd column was ridiculed for a long time after it was published.

But sometimes that's really how it is. The Magic, who made 2 of 6 three-pointers in the first quarter, responded with 6 of 10 three-pointers in the second quarter, scoring 37 points in a single quarter against the Knicks!
The Magic have a very scary point in the last two years – once their long-range shooting gets going, their defense is exceptionally good!
In the first 10 minutes of the second quarter, the Knicks were held to just 20 points. It wasn't until the end of the quarter, when Yi Shui made 2 of 3 one-on-one shots and Birdman, who came off the bench, added a dunk, that the Knicks' score in the quarter increased to 26 points, preventing the gap from widening further.

At halftime, the Magic led the Knicks 69-63 by 6 points!
Yi Shui and his teammates thought they had finally made it through, but in the third quarter, the Magic made 5 of 9 three-pointers... giving them a 32-26 lead in the quarter.

After three quarters, the Knicks had scored 89 points, which was not bad, but the opponent scored 101 points!
During the break, Yi Shui, Mark Jackson, and Cheeks all agreed, and D'Antoni adopted the suggestion – "Hack-a-Shaq!"
If the Magic's offense had any weakness in the first three quarters, it was Howard's 4-for-8 free throw shooting.

The "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic is a double-edged sword, especially against a run-and-gun team like the Knicks, as it significantly disrupts their offensive rhythm. However, they have no choice but to play this way now.

The execution was excellent. The Knicks' frontcourt is undoubtedly top-notch, but they have just as many players as any other team. Swift, Gibson, Birdman, and Ben Wallace all have to take turns resting each game.

The Magic's offense completely stalled in the final quarter, and their shooting rhythm was disrupted by a series of fouls from the Knicks. Apart from Howard, who frequently went to the free-throw line, the other players only scored a total of 8 points.

But in the final quarter, Howard miraculously made 8 of 12 free throws!
On the Knicks' side, their team offense also collapsed, and they only managed to score 21 points thanks to Yi Shui's 11 points in a single quarter.

The Knicks narrowed the gap to 6 points with a 21-15 run in the first quarter, but the deficit remained at 12 points after three quarters...

首节14分、第二节12分、第三节8分、末节11分，易水全场31投15中、其中三分球12中6、加上10中9的罚球，狂轰45分，还是没能敌得过对面投手群。    魔术队首节和末节，三分球合计12投3中，单节第二节10中6、第三节9中5，全场三分球31投14中，在三分出手如此多的情况下投出了45%的命中率！

霍华德13投8中、加上20中12的罚球，拿到28分18板1助攻3盖帽，率领魔术队以116比110险胜尼克斯队！

...

The Knicks' four-game winning streak came to an end, bringing their record to 48 wins and 12 losses.

Although the winning streak will eventually end, it will still be very painful when it does. Yi Shui didn't sleep well that night and didn't fall asleep until almost dawn.

However, after a good night's sleep, he had calmed down considerably. On the flight from Orlando to New Orleans with the team, he actively reviewed the game with Curry and Chalmers.

Although they lost last night, they played much better than during their previous three-game road trip on the South Coast in four days. When they were shooting well, they could outmaneuver the Magic, and when they played dirty in the final quarter, they could effectively narrow the gap. However, they didn't control the pace of the game well enough.

And Howard's free throws were decent in the final quarter.

卡特昨晚的远距离单打表现也非常出色，全场20投9中、其中三分球5中2、加上4中4的罚球拿到了24分，在第二节和第三节球星对攻阶段，极大程度地扛住了易水的攻势。

After reviewing the game, the 08 draft class gained a lot of confidence. Although they were still at a disadvantage, with Lewis and Howard forming a formidable inside combination, their inside players were not on the same level as the opposing team. But at least they were not as helpless as they were last season.

After resting for a night in New Orleans, the Knicks traveled to the New Orleans Arena on the 8th to challenge the Hornets.

19投10中、其中三分球7中4、加上7中7的罚球，易水出战33分钟，轻松拿到31分9板7助攻1抢断3盖帽，率领尼克斯队以107比88轻取黄蜂队。

The Knicks played haphazardly in this game because the Hornets were in complete disarray. Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton, David West, Okafor, and others were just swinging the ball around without any coordination whatsoever.

Previously, Yi Shui saw some media outlets praising rookie Darren Collison, saying that Paul's season-ending injury gave the newcomer a chance to shine, and he was somewhat hopeful.

In his memory, even a decade or so later, many people were still praising Collison for being "not greedy for money" and "carefree," retiring at the age of 32, in his prime, by giving up a multi-million dollar annual salary...

After actually playing against them, I was a bit disappointed.

For a player who can contribute immediately after being drafted in the second half of the first round, Collison, who entered the NBA after graduating from college, is outstanding. It would be difficult to draft a point guard like him at that position.

But that was about it. After Paul's first surgery, Collison averaged 35 minutes per game, scoring 14.4 points and 5 assists, but that was only 5 assists per game.

At least in tonight's game, Collison, who scored 12 points and 6 assists, hardly ever 'organized the offense', and didn't even achieve the desired drive-and-kick effect. Most of his assists came from driving in, circling around, not finding a shooting opportunity, and then throwing the ball out. When the Hornets received the ball on the wing, they had to shoot it immediately.

A 47% shooting percentage just looks high; he's a bit like Aaron Brooks of the Rockets.

They also have advantages—good defense, and excellent ability and habits.

Despite his small stature and incredible speed, he doesn't risk stealing the ball. Combined with his excellent lateral movement, he rarely loses his position when defending Curry one-on-one. He's also aware of his height disadvantage and is generally not easily faked out. As for being forced to shoot 3 out of 6 three-pointers against Curry's tough defense, that's because Curry was both aggressive and capable, not because of Collison's defensive issues.

Duhon, Curry, and Chalmers are all no match for this rookie in defense.

However, apart from Collison, no other Hornets player really left any impression on Yi Shui in this game.

David West and David Lee traded blows tonight.

James Posey and Peja only have one function: to take the blame.

Okafor... Compared to their match at the beginning of the season, Yi Shui felt that the senior had aged several years and seemed completely dejected.

He finally joined the team he had always dreamed of, which had a superstar point guard, but he only played 30 games with Paul before Paul was sidelined with an injury.

On the contrary, his former team is thriving and is about to make the playoffs for the first time in its history...

...

On the afternoon of the 9th, the Knicks arrived in Memphis, igniting a frenzy of attention from fans.

It's going to 'explode'!
After drafting Rose, the Grizzlies have become a nationally renowned young team in less than two years.

赛季至今，罗斯出战灰熊队61场比赛中的60场，场均22.8分3.3板7.6助攻1.6抢断，率队取得40胜21负的战绩，50胜有望、甚至有希望冲击55胜。

The Pacers in the East and the Grizzlies in the West have been dubbed by the media as the two dark horses of this season, and have been compared to the Knicks last season.

In this year's All-Star Game, Rose beat out Paul and Nash to make the starting lineup.

In the mid-season MVP rankings, Rose was ranked as high as sixth, and in almost every media list, he was ranked higher than his predecessors such as Duncan, Nowitzki, Anthony, Deron Williams, and Paul.

Popularity and talent combined!
This season, Rose has been constantly compared to Yi Jianlian and Durant, although he can't compare to either... but!
He is the only one among the new generation of geniuses to be compared with these two.

Other players still on their rookie contracts, such as Roy, Aldridge, Gay, Westbrook, and Love, don't have the opportunity to be compared to these two.

Yi Shui's arrival in Memphis to face Rose has attracted the attention of sports fans across the United States, with media and fans alike discussing the two teams' game tomorrow.

There's not much to compare between Yi Shui and Rose; even Grizzlies fans think Yi Shui is stronger.

Yi Shui is classified as a superstar, while Rose is just an All-Star who has just embarked on the path to superstardom. Grizzlies fans still have that sense of comparison.

In team comparisons, despite a 9-game deficit in wins, the Knicks have a record of 49 wins and 12 losses, and are about to become the first team this season to reach 50 wins. 60 wins are a foregone conclusion, and they are expected to push for 65 wins.

But Grizzlies fans think they have a good chance of winning!
It's not just Grizzlies fans who think this way; the media also believe the Grizzlies have a high probability of beating the Knicks, and even New York fans think the game will be very difficult.

Even Yi Shui and others felt this way...

After the Knicks arrived at their hotel in Memphis, no one went out to party. They all obediently followed the coaching staff's instructions and stayed at the hotel for a midday rest.

Because a random street massacre had just occurred in Memphis, killing 29 people, making it the largest shooting in the United States in nearly four years. Moreover, the perpetrators have not been fully apprehended and have moved to neighboring towns to continue their killing spree. According to information released by the Memphis police, this was a local cult organization in Memphis, and it is unknown how many members remain.

The last time such serious crime occurred was in New Orleans during the post-disaster reconstruction period, with an average of 100 violent incidents per day. The reason it was exactly 100 is because the police stopped accepting reports after reaching 100.

However, it wasn't entirely due to inaction by the New Orleans police. While that was certainly a factor, the main reason was that, according to local law, if crime reached a certain level during the post-disaster reconstruction period, the National Guard could enter the disaster area without any restrictions. The resulting disaster, by convention, was far more devastating than the local criminals. It was a situation where, after being harmed by the hurricane and the criminals, the locals would then be subjected to further rape and abduction by the US military. The fact that the locals, who weren't victims of crime, actually supported the police was a result of this.

At 4 p.m., the Knicks players gathered in the hotel conference room for a pre-game meeting to prepare for the next two away games.

The Grizzlies and Thunder are two opponents that are unlikely to be met in the playoffs, but the Knicks coaching staff is taking these two opponents even more seriously than they did when they played the Magic on the road. When playing the Magic on the road, they would rest first and then hold a meeting to discuss tactics on the morning of the game.

On the one hand, they wanted to find something for the players to do; there are always some NBA players who like to seek out excitement.

Another reason is that Yi Shui's individual performance received more attention than the team's performance when playing against these two opponents.

The same applies to the game against the Cavaliers; people are more focused on Yi Shui and James' individual performances than on the outcome of the game.

In this situation, D'Antoni prefers to prioritize Yi Shui's performance over the team's overall performance, much like the treatment the Cavaliers give to James.

Fortunately for the Knicks coaching staff, Yi Shui possesses a competitive spirit similar to Duncan's, prioritizing winning the game over personal victory.

In D'Antoni's view, Yi Shui's competitive spirit is even stronger than Kobe's. Kobe is also extremely competitive, but he is more enthusiastic about defeating all the players he is matched up against. Of course, Kobe is also extremely obsessed with winning, but his obsession with defeating his opponents is less than that of Kobe himself. In the last two years, Kobe's situation has improved, and the two have reached a balance.

The best example is at the beginning of the season, when playing against the Warriors, Kings, and Nuggets. Yi Shui scored 50+ points in two games, one after the other. In the game against the Kings, he only took 9 shots and scored 16 points, happily using his own threat to pass the ball to his teammates. Given the Kings' defense, even if they double-teamed Yi Shui, D'Antoni believed that Yi Shui, in his form at the time, could definitely score 40 or 50 points.

During the pre-game meeting, the Knicks' coaches and players didn't feel that playing against the Thunder would be too difficult. They believed that in terms of individual ability, Yi Jianlian was no less capable than Durant, Curry was no less capable than Westbrook, and David Lee was no less capable than Jeff Green.

But everyone felt a lot of pressure playing against the Grizzlies.

Marc Gasol, Shawn Marion, Jermaine O'Neal, and Darrell Arthur – this frontcourt duo is pretty fierce!

The rotation of Gay and Sam Young at small forward is not a major concern.

With Rose and Rodney Brewer as the starting backcourt duo, and Tinsley, Eddie House, Marcus Williams, and other reserves, the Knicks didn't have much of an advantage.

The Grizzlies' overall offense is relatively poor, averaging 97.9 points per game, which is below the league average.

However, they only conceded 5728 points in 61 games, averaging 93.9 points allowed per game, making them one of the six top defensive teams in the league.

After the meeting, Yi Shuiren was completely numb. The teams that had secured a playoff spot in the West felt to him like... the Pacers and Cavaliers?
If the Grizzlies were to add two more reliable wing shooters, they could probably go toe-to-toe with the Magic!

Or give them two better defensive players at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Yi Shui thought of Tony Allen and Shane Battier. Just thinking about their defense is terrifying.

However, looking at the top nine teams in the West, apart from the Thunder, none of them have a weak interior defense.

The Lakers have three towers, the Suns have Stoudemire and Jordan, the Spurs have Duncan and a defensive center, the Mavericks have Nowitzki and a role-playing center, the Jazz have two towers, and the Nuggets have Nene and Martin...

Even with Oden out for the season, Camby seriously injured, and Przybilla constantly sidelined with injuries, the Trail Blazers still had the shooting twin towers of Aldridge and Juwan Howard.

The Thunder are currently struggling on the edge of the playoffs, probably because their interior defense is no match for the injury-plagued Trail Blazers.

Yi: I'm so glad I was drafted by an Eastern Conference team!

...

Although the pressure of the meeting increased, Yi Shui was still very excited when he arrived at the away team's player tunnel at 7:30 pm on the 10th.

In his rookie season, there was some debate about who was better between Rose and players like Mayo, Beasley, Eric Gordon, and Curry. Now, Rose is widely recognized as the second-best player in the 08 draft class.

Yi Shui was already incredibly excited to play against his fellow All-Stars, even more so than he had been against the Cavaliers and Magic.

Also, those two teams know each other's playing styles too well, so they just go all out when they're on the field.

The Grizzlies are a completely different team compared to last season.

体重减到122公斤的小加索尔，场均拿到14.6分8.3板3.6助攻1抢断1.6盖帽，才二年级，就已经让很多人觉得灰熊队送走加索尔那笔交易不亏了。

加上场均22+3+7的罗斯、场均20+5+2的盖伊……易水想到马上要与这样的对手交手就兴奋。

As the newly crowned 'Sin City,' Memphis fans are incredibly enthusiastic. After the entrance ceremony began, the Knicks players received a warm welcome amidst a cacophony of boos from the crowd.

Especially when Yi Shui came on stage, he saw several female fans near the players' tunnel lifting their skirts and slapping his buttocks! They even gave him the middle finger!
That robust and voluptuous figure... Harden and Nash would be overjoyed if they came!
However, Harden hasn't really broken out yet, so Memphis fans probably won't pay that much attention to him. Nash is getting older and might be struggling...

The atmosphere was tense during the pre-match greetings between the two teams after the opening ceremony.

Rose, followed by Gay, Gasol, Marion, and O'Neal, looked up at the Yi River and said, "Your 50 wins will be postponed. Don't even think about winning here. This is our territory."

Before Yi Shui could speak, Curry, who was behind him on the left, interrupted, "What does it have to do with you if we don't get 50 wins? You should be worried about whether your team can make the playoffs. You got blown out by Westbrook, be careful your team doesn't get blown out by the Thunder too."

Rose's face darkened upon hearing this... Rose: Yi, what the hell are you clapping for!
Yi Shui felt that Curry's words were becoming increasingly sharp, and his personality was becoming more and more different from the elementary school student he remembered!

On the first day of competition after the All-Star Weekend, in addition to the highly anticipated game between the Knicks and the Heat, there is also a key matchup in the West – the Grizzlies vs. the Thunder.

The Grizzlies dominated the regular season, leading the Thunder 83-65 after three quarters. However, in the final quarter, the Thunder relied on Westbrook and Durant's isolation plays to outscore the Thunder 32-14, forcing overtime and going into two overtimes.

Ultimately, Westbrook scored his first career 40+ point game with 43 points, and together with Durant's 38 points, they led the team to a 119-115 comeback victory over the Grizzlies in double overtime, making Rose's 31 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists a mere backdrop.

Furthermore, theoretically speaking, the Grizzlies do have a possibility of falling out of the playoffs.

The Grizzlies are currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 40-21 record and have a chance to reach 55 wins. However, the Thunder, who are currently ninth in the West, have a record of 37-25, just 3 games behind. If the Grizzlies have a bit of bad luck and suffer a few consecutive losses, they may not be able to reach 50 wins and make the playoffs.

Elementary school students, when they do speak, are like daggers to the heart.

The initial pleasantries only intensified the hostility between the two sides.

The Knicks are used to this. Whenever they play against teams where players from the 08 draft class have become the core, it's always the same. Yi Shui and Curry, the two stars from the 08 draft class, are too eye-catching among their peers.

Rose's individual and team performance in his second year was good enough, right? But people are only discussing whether they can match the rookie year performances of Yi Shui and Curry, and almost everyone thinks it's impossible to surpass them, after all, the Knicks made it to the conference finals.

Back on the bench, after listening to the coaching staff's final instructions, Yi Shui had a sudden thought: a system notification had arrived!

"The rose is about to bloom, and Derrick Rose is eager to defeat you and will become one of your biggest rivals in the early stages of your career... Mission: Budding Trigger."

Objective 1: You need to lead your team to limit Rose's shooting percentage to below his season average.

Objective 2: You must block Rose at least once.

Objective 3: Win.

Reward: Startup speed +1.

Another mission has arrived, and this one is related to physical fitness! It even gives you burst speed!

Yi Shui was even more excited, but this task, objective 2, was not difficult, objective 3, winning the game, was what he was supposed to do when he stepped onto the field.

But goal 1 is quite difficult!
Rose's average of 22 points and 7 assists per game isn't really that great! Harris had similar numbers last season, and Carter has averaged 20+5+5 over the past two years.

But on a defense-oriented team like the Grizzlies, with Gay shooting only 45%, Gasol only 47%, and Marion only 46%, Rose, who primarily drives to the basket, had a shooting percentage as high as 48.1%!

Aside from Jermaine O'Neal, who only scores easy baskets and open mid-range jumpers, no Grizzlies player has a higher field goal percentage than Rose!

(End of this chapter)