Champion, please stay!

Chapter 250, Chapter 248: Being tall is the best talent!

'Low-cost offense' refers to Yi Shui's enthusiasm for using technique and rhythm to create better offensive conditions when he has the ball, and his enthusiasm for using rhythm differences, back runs, screens and other methods to create better space to receive the ball and shoot when he is not with the ball.

This can effectively reduce the physical exertion caused by the intense competition and improve the sustainability of the game.

The summer after D'Antoni drafted Yi Shui in 08, he discovered this strength of Yi Shui and was amazed by it!

With such outstanding physical attributes, and the same level of awareness as Jordan, Kobe, and Duncan!

He concluded that Yi Shui would not be an ordinary superstar!

However, it was when Yi Shui encountered players like Prince and Kirilenko that D'Antoni was most excited.

When the "low-cost offense" style of play fails to create good shooting opportunities, Yi Shui's truly terrifying side is revealed.

It's the kind of form D'Antoni was bragging about last season—Little Tyrant + Silver Horn King!

The Grizzlies brought in Marc Gasol and Corey Brewer, which improved their passing ability, mid-range and long-range shooting, rim protection, and wing double-teaming, resulting in a significant improvement in both offense and defense.

In just over five minutes, the Grizzlies made 5 of 11 field goals, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, and 4 of 5 free throws, scoring 15 points. Compared to the first half of the quarter, their offensive efficiency improved significantly.

Despite his physical limitations, Yi Shui displayed a "tank-like" drive, dribbling and one-on-one, forcefully cutting into the paint to activate his "inside dominance" mode, and aggressively rebounding when teammates were shooting, triggering his "frontcourt beast" status. In just half a quarter, he grabbed two offensive rebounds, made 5 of 9 shots, and added 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 12 points and leading his team to 17 points in half a quarter!
The Grizzlies continued their offensive momentum from the first quarter into the second quarter, scoring another 25 points, while the Knicks went on a scoring spree of 31 points in the same quarter!
At halftime, the score was 53-50, with the Knicks leading by 3 points going into the break!
...

If you can't break through the opponent's defensive system or further limit their offense, then don't waste your energy. Focus on observing the performance of the role players, and adjust the lineup in a timely manner based on the players' physical condition and their ability to seize opportunities. Leave the field to your star player...

Mike D'Antoni enjoyed Phil Jackson's happiness tonight!

回到更衣室，他看着半场的数据表，易水半场18投9中、其中三分球2中1、加上5中4的罚球，拿到23分6板2助攻3盖帽。

There have been times before when we won by scoring big points in Yishui, but those games were completely different from tonight's situation.

Tonight's success truly relied on star players. Curry and David Lee went head-to-head with the opposing team in the first half, allowing Yi Shui to coast on offense and focus on defense, conserving energy and allowing them to concentrate their firepower in the second half.

However, D'Antoni believes that such games should only happen occasionally and should not become the norm.

He is not good at the triangle offense or the Princeton offense, which relies heavily on star players' isolation plays, and his team does not have that kind of roster configuration. He will not try it blindly. The fast-paced style combined with defense is the system direction he has clearly defined.

The most impressive thing about Yi Shui tonight for D'Antoni was their defense against Rose.

There was no other way, so I tried it without taking any responsibility, and I didn't expect it to work so well!

Rose went 3-for-5 in the first quarter, but only 2-for-7 in the second!

Yi Shui had 3 blocks in the first half, two of which were swatted down on Rose's head in the second quarter.

While this may be related to Rose's lack of mid-range and long-range shooting ability, Rose's field goal percentage at the rim is 66.7% and his close-range field goal percentage is as high as 53%. His mid-range and long two-point shooting are very poor, at only 28% and 31.9% respectively. His three-point shooting is negligible, averaging 0.8 attempts and 0.2 made per game.

But to defend Rose, who is in excellent form when he drives to the basket, to this extent is already quite remarkable.

The only players D'Antoni could think of who could do this kind of defense were Yao Ming, Howard, Duncan, Bynum, and others. They all waited under the basket to contest shots, and they still needed help from their perimeter teammates.

After halftime, D'Antoni continued to field Curry, Yi Shui, and David Lee together, alongside Duhon and Ben Wallace.

He decided to continue with the strategy proposed by Yi Shui. After playing one quarter, he had fully grasped the advantages of this approach—leaving the opponent no room to adjust!
Moreover, their ideas were even more extreme than Yi Shui's: if they could play fast, they would try to bring on the fastest combo guards and centers; if they had to slow down, they would not consider playing fast.

Just as D'Antoni predicted, Hollins continued to field Rose and Marion, who hadn't rested for a second in the first half. Gasol didn't start, but Gay did.

Sometimes, when facing a capable opponent, strategy is more likely to be effective!

Hollins did indeed figure out the Knicks' tactical intentions, just as D'Antoni had thought, but he had no choice but to continue to use Rose to go head-to-head with the opponent. Their offense relied on Rose to lead the charge, while Gay and Gasol were playing supporting roles.

If they had a good scoring sixth man, the problem could be solved, but they didn't.

During the offseason, the Grizzlies pursued Ben Gordon but failed, offering him a six-year contract worth $7 million per year. The Pistons, on the other hand, offered him a six-year contract worth $10 million per year, leaving Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace puzzled and still unable to figure it out after almost a season had passed.

Does Dumars really think of 'backup Joe' as Jordan?
Given previous comments about Stuckey's superstar potential and the actual investment in developing him, the Grizzlies' management and coaches are baffled as to how Dumars managed to put together a starting five to defeat the OK combination.

At the start of the third quarter, both teams continued their star-studded battle, with Curry and David Lee facing off against Rose and Gay.

The Grizzlies played better this time. With 4 minutes and 45 seconds left in the game, Gay hit a pull-up three-pointer to take a 61-60 lead over the Knicks, going on an 11-7 run!

Without hesitation, Yi Shui immediately took possession of the ball, faced Marion's defense, and made a strong fadeaway jump shot, turning on his main offensive mode and forcing the opponent to substitute Marc Gasol and Ronnie Brewer.

D'Antoni promptly substituted David Lee, Ben Wallace, and Duhon, bringing on Chandler, Webster, and Hughes, while Curry and Yi Shui continued playing.

The third quarter began with an all-out battle!
The Grizzlies' "one big, four small" defensive system was unbreakable by the Knicks; the Grizzlies' own offense was below league average, and when Yi Shuiping effectively limited Rose's defense, they couldn't mount a true team offense. Both teams were forced to rely on the individual abilities of their star players!

Gay's scoring ability is still better than Curry's at the moment. Gasol's mid-range shot and playmaking can also create shooting opportunities for Ronnie Brewer and Marion, although not very good.

But the gap between Rose and Yi Shui became very obvious starting from the second quarter!

Towards the end of the third quarter, Yi Shui's strong drive drew the Grizzlies' early collapse, and he passed the ball to the wing. Curry received the ball, and Marion, who was diving to cover, hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer... and it went in!
前面5分钟被打了一波11比7后，尼克斯队在后面7分钟常规时间回敬了一波15比12，加上库里这个三分球……单节25比23，三节打完，尼克斯队将领先优势扩大到5分，78比73领先灰熊队！
...

Rose had been looking forward to this game for a long time.

He longed to defeat Yi Shui and stepped onto the field with an unwavering belief in victory... Of course, he hadn't ruled out the possibility of losing the match.

He had considered that he might lose because the opposing pitchers were on fire; he might lose because the opposing team had strong offensive power; he might lose because his own team was not in good form... but he never expected to be suppressed like this!

The opposing team doesn't play teamwork; they just go head-to-head, purely relying on one-on-one fights, and they're completely outmatched!
The reason they were suppressed was because Yi Shui restricted him in this aspect!

He was unwilling, angry, and ashamed... but when the break ended and he stepped onto the court, his expression, movements, and posture remained unchanged, showing his unwavering determination.

It wasn't that Rose knew the team was in a difficult situation and needed him to boost morale; it was simply a true reflection of his own feelings.

Never give up until the very last moment! That's his basketball motto!

The fourth quarter has begun.

Hollins fielded a starting lineup of Rose, Ronnie Brewer, Gay, Marion, and Gasol; D'Antoni continued with the combination of Curry, Hughes, Webster, Yi Shui, and Chandler.

At this point, Gay's one-on-one offense was no longer very effective. He was being guarded by Webster and Barnes in rotation, and his body was already stiff with iron oxide.

Marc Gasol's playmaking and passing are like a double-edged sword; they're not entirely useless, but Marion, in order to ensure the defense can keep up, doesn't drive into the paint much on offense anymore, and Ronnie Brewer's shooting isn't much better than Gay's.

The Grizzlies' offense revolves around Rose.

Rose's offensive opportunities improved in the final quarter. Yi Shui stopped guarding him, and by the end of the third quarter, he was no longer on the defensive. Facing Curry's defense, he had no difficulty breaking through.

However, after breaking through, he no longer had the energy to make those high-speed changes of direction! Playing the first three quarters had severely depleted his stamina!
Rose has played the entire game before, but tonight's situation is completely different from his previous full-game performances!
Now he drives into the paint and attacks the basket, relying on his indomitable spirit to take shots, but his accuracy is up to chance.

On the other hand, the Knicks' situation wasn't much better.

Hughes, Webster, and even Curry all stood still to shoot. Chandler cut in from the weak side to receive the pass, but he only stood close enough to be left open before moving in. He didn't actively cut in or provide wing screens.

The attack relies on Yi Shui's one-on-one play.

Even with Curry and David Lee carrying the team for almost a quarter in the second and first half of the third quarters, reducing some of the strain, defending Rose for nearly two quarters is no easy task. Asking him to start his offense from a drive is something he simply can't handle.

but!

Yi Shui Gao!

He went straight to the low position and sat down to beat Marion!

If double-teamed on the perimeter, take a high shot before being surrounded; if Gasol helps defend, turn and step back for a strong shot; if you really can't keep up and need to take a break, go to the perimeter and pull up for a jump shot.

Unless the opposing perimeter players double-team him as soon as he receives the ball, or Marc Gasol collapses to help defend in advance, he will take the shot!
His shooting efficiency was very low, even lower than Rose's 3-for-9 shooting and 2-for-2 free throws for 8 points in a quarter, but he took a lot of shots!
队友们7投2中只拿到5分，没有对面盖伊、布鲁尔、小加索尔等人11投4中拿到9分多。

但易水强冲反击、高举高打、干拔强投……13投4中、其中三分球3中1，加上3中3的罚球，单节铁出了12分！
At 10:23 PM, before Rose could even shoot the ball after receiving the serve, the game was already over.

末节比分17比17，尼克斯队守住5分优势，以95比90险胜灰熊队！
After the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks players rushed to the Yi River to celebrate their hard-won victory.

They struggled in the first quarter, with no tactics working and the coaching staff trying things out haphazardly without any direction. They themselves felt like they were about to collapse.

During the first break, Yi Shui's tactics, even though his teammates unconditionally trusted their leader, still seemed extreme and outrageous for their team's offensive style. However, they still chose to execute them, at least having a clear direction so they wouldn't be like headless flies.

I can't believe it actually worked! From being completely on the defensive, to playing back and forth, to gaining the upper hand, to Curry hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give us a clear lead, to completely taking control in the final quarter... the game was certainly tough, but winning made the feeling of exhilaration even stronger!
On the other hand, the Grizzlies players weren't in such a good mood.

罗斯看着大屏幕，他首节5投3中拿到9分2助攻，但第二节只有7中2、第三节8中3、末节更是只有9中3，后三节虽然拿到了21分，但是用24次出手换回来的，全场29投仅11中，命中率37.9%！

On the other side, Yi Shui... Rose saw Yi Shui's stats and couldn't help but curse.

Yi Shui hit the iron six more times than him, but his hit rate was actually higher!
首节9投4中拿到11分、第二节9投5中拿到12分、第三节10投4中拿到10分、第四节13投4中拿到12分，合计41投17中，其中三分球8中2，加上10中9的罚球，以41%命中率拿到45分！
Rose: Is this how you play basketball? That's completely unreasonable!

(End of this chapter)