Champion, please stay!

Chapter 262, Part 260: The Crazy Finale (Prelude)
Besides preparing for the playoffs, Yi Shui is also very concerned about this game.

After learning Anthony's triple threat, he improved upon his original triple threat, which was based on McGrady's. He also improved upon Durant's crossover dribble, which he basically copied. The rewards of winning against the three super scorers of the 03 draft class were more than he expected.

If you add Pierce to the mix, he has already mastered the skills of three of the league's four top three-threat offensive players.

Yi Shui thought that it would be great if he could get back the old blacksmith's three threats. It was as beautiful as a painting, which would truly combine the strengths of many. Of course, it would be even better if he could get his hands on the painting itself.

Upon arriving at his hotel in Boston, Yi Shui didn't go sightseeing; the place wasn't suitable. He took a nap and then flipped through the Celtics' latest scouting report.

Since their last meeting, the Celtics have averaged 90.5 points and allowed 89 points per game in their last 8 games... The closer they get to the playoffs, the more tenacious they become!
In these 8 games, the Celtics only had a 4-4 record, which doesn't look very good. However, they limited their opponents to a 41.1% field goal percentage, which was outrageous. Most of the losses were due to their poor long-range shooting.

Despite having the best three-point shooter in history, the Celtics' three-point shooting ability ranks near the bottom of the league. When Yi Shui first noticed this, he found it incredible.

But after looking at the Celtics' team stats, the reason became clear immediately—besides Ray Allen, only Paul Pierce could be considered a good three-point shooter on the Celtics; after that, there were Nate Robinson and Rasheed Wallace, who could stretch the floor for shots.

And then, that was it! Literally, that was it.

Besides these four players, only Rondo averages more than one three-point attempt per game, with a 21% shooting percentage and only 0.3 three-pointers made per game, which is a drag on the team.

This brings us to Celtics owner Gross, who is considered the third stingiest NBA team owner in a big city, with only Alexander and Sterling being more frugal. Before forming the Big Three, the Celtics never paid a single luxury tax.

In the first summer after the Big Three won the championship, Gross began planning to reduce salary expenses and luxury tax, tricking the Big Three into taking pay cuts, and he didn't keep his word.

Garnett signed a three-year, $56 million contract extension in 2008, which took effect this season. His salary dropped from over $24 million last season to over $16 million, a decrease of more than $8 million.

Pierce signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension in 2008, which will take effect next season. His salary will drop from $19.8 million this season to just over $13 million, a reduction of $6 million.

The reason given for making the three players take a pay cut was to facilitate better player recruitment.

But last summer, apart from bringing in Rasheed Wallace, no other signings were made, and the increase in salary was offset by Garnett taking a pay cut of more than $800 million.

The reason is that Garnett's recovery status is unclear, and the playing style may need to be adjusted, so it is not advisable to make blind signings.

Anyway, the salary has already been reduced, and there are valid reasons for it.

Currently, apart from the Big Three and Rasheed Wallace, who is on a mid-level exception contract, no other player on the Celtics has a salary of $500 million.

However, Ray Allen, one of the Big Three, did not sign an early contract extension.

Yi Shui heard that Ainge and Ray Allen had a very unpleasant experience in their contract renewal negotiations. He vaguely remembered that Ray Allen signed a contract with a salary that was almost halved because the Celtics had made it to the Finals again and fought the Lakers to a Game 7 before losing. He felt that there was still hope for winning the championship, so he reluctantly signed the contract.

If the Knicks beat the Celtics in the playoffs this year...

This summer they have so much salary cap space. Even with the contracts of Chandler and Webster, they can still free up about $28 million. They have enough space for one max contract plus one starting salary of tens of millions per year. If they can't get a max contract player, they can still split it into three contracts with an average annual salary of tens of millions.

We don't necessarily have to fight for Ray Allen, but having more options is always a good thing.

...

At 5 p.m. on the 9th, the Knicks' away game against the Celtics began.

Celtics starting lineup: Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins.

Knicks starting lineup: Duhon, Curry, Yi Shui, David Lee, Chandler.

From the start, both teams went their own way.

The Celtics primarily employ a half-court offense, focusing on team play and controlling the tempo, with Rondo occasionally grabbing defensive rebounds for a one-on-one fast break.

The Celtics' starting five actually have a very good offense. Although they can't score in big games, their field goal percentage is the highest among the 30 teams' starters, even reaching 51% after the All-Star break.

However, once Ray Allen is substituted, the offensive space disappears, and the team can only rely on Rondo's playmaking ability to find opportunities.

While Garnett can still provide some support and playmaking when he's on the court, his mobility and stamina have declined, so the biggest help he can offer on offense has become his ability to create space.

Two years ago, it was the Big Three leading Rondo; now it's Rondo leading the Big Three.

The Knicks have changed their strategy again tonight!

D'Antoni drew inspiration from the classic run-and-gun style of the Mad Scientist and the Showtime of the Calculator, and devised a strategy specifically to counter the Celtics.

Unlike the aggressive, fast-paced style of play used in the last match, this game, while still fast, emphasizes overall speed.

The strategy involves pressing forward on all three lines in a fast break, focusing on creating mismatches rather than necessarily forcing a breakthrough.

The Celtics had a good defensive formation, and apart from Rondo, no one else was going for offensive rebounds. The Knicks' fast breaks were already difficult to execute, so D'Antoni simply gave up on scoring on the fast breaks.

In positional warfare, the main strategy is simple but fast pick-and-roll, drive-and-dish, and pass-and-cut. Curry, Duhon, and Chalmers are not good at this, but there is one person who can – Yi Shui!
Yi Shui will be running the pick-and-roll tonight!
D'Antoni arranged two guard pairs for him in the backcourt: Duhon and Curry, and Chalmers and Hughes, to take turns. One pair would push the fast break, and the other would go down the court to find opportunities to receive the ball and shoot. At the center position, Chandler, Ben Wallace, and Gibson would take turns attacking.

Yi Shui became the one who followed up and supported from behind, and would only rush out directly to save energy if he had a really good opportunity for a fast break.

The Knicks' playing style puts them at a disadvantage both in terms of the overall situation and the score.

Yi Shui has strong playmaking ability, but he is slightly inferior in organizing the offense with the ball. His pick-and-roll passing is not as good as Curry's, only better than Chalmers and Duhon. However, he is fast and tall!

Pierce and Rondo, who were defending pick-and-rolls, and Garnett, who was helping out, were all thoroughly harassed by him.

With 9 minutes and 11 seconds left in the first quarter, the game went into a timeout.

The Celtics led the Knicks 22-17 by 5 points, limiting the Knicks to less than two points per minute and even outscoring the Celtics themselves. However, it wasn't D'Antoni who called the timeout, but Rivers who did so after Rondo's failed steal!
River Document: Why is this mustachioed guy using a different tactic again!
Rivers is so tired right now.

Do all head coaches who play a run-and-gun offense become 'crazy'?

In the last game against the Knicks, Rivers saw that the Knicks had a fairly complete tactical strategy against the Grizzlies and Pacers, two tough and strong teams. So he made targeted defensive adjustments based on the Knicks' playing style in those two games.

As a result, the Knicks didn't use that strategy at all, leaving him completely bewildered.

This time, he developed new targeted defensive adjustments based on the Knicks' playing style in their previous game against them.

The Knicks' strategy against them last time was so effective that they couldn't even fight back in the later stages of the game. His adjustments could only have a limited effect, and he wasn't even sure if they would work.

But D'Antoni didn't even give him a chance to try, and instead came up with some new tricks!

Don't be fooled by the Celtics' current 5-point lead; their five starters haven't had a single second of rest since the start of the game!
Moreover, Garnett, who was originally scheduled to play the entire first quarter, only played for 9 minutes, and his exertion was greater than when he usually plays a quarter!
That damned mustachioed man is constantly tormenting his beloved wolf king!
Rivers was furious. In his anger, he spent the entire timeout without making any tactical adjustments, only rotating players.

Pause back.

The Celtics brought in a lineup of Rondo, Tony Allen, Marquese Daniels, Glen Davis, and Rasheed Wallace.

The commentators on Cable Sports and NBC Massachusetts, who were broadcasting the game, correctly analyzed Rivers' intention in making the substitutions—to maintain the lead and wear down the Knicks through physical defense.

The Knicks also made a substitution, with Curry and Chandler returning to the court after a few minutes of rest, while Yi Shui continued to play, accompanied by Webster and David Lee.

The Knicks are on offense. Yi Shui passes the ball to Curry, and they run up the court together.

When Yi Shui saw the opponent's lineup, he thought they were going to use his old teammate Daniels to defend him, but when he crossed the mid-court line, he saw Tony Allen moving between him and the basket!

Oh... he remembered! He saw the news a while ago that his 47-game streak of scoring 20+ points was broken. He was defended by Coach Tony and made only 6 of 21 shots, not a single three-pointer, plus 3 of 4 free throws, scoring only 15 points. It was his worst performance of the season!
In his sixth year in the league, at 28 years old, Tony Allen has actually reached his peak. Ignoring defensive efficiency and focusing solely on the actual impact of his defense on the game, his defensive contribution is better than that of Kobe, Wade, Sefolosha, Kidd, and others. Only Rondo has a greater defensive impact. Before Paul was sidelined with injuries this season, his defense was already hampered by injuries, so his actual impact is not as great as these players.

Interesting! Yi Shui immediately went to the right 45-degree angle outside the three-point line to ask for the ball.

Tony Allen simply stayed close, without making any futile attempts to front and intercept.

Yi Shui tried using the triple threat stance, creating space, and changing direction in front of the body to try and create space for mid-to-long-range shots... but after struggling for several seconds, he came up empty-handed.

The fans at the stadium were already cheering wildly when they saw Tony Allen blocking Yi Shui at mid-to-long range and sticking to him tightly.

Yi Shui leaned against Tony Allen and gestured to Curry, who was pulled to the left at a 45-degree angle.

In just one round, he understood why Durant couldn't beat Tony Allen.

Tony Allen's ability to control the lower body and his actual control of the offensive pressure are even better than Artest's at the moment! Moreover, his mobility is far superior to Artest's, and with his 20-centimeter height advantage, his outside isolation plays are almost useless!

You could use a brutal, tank-like drive, but that's not as good as... Yi Shui passed the ball back to Curry, who had pulled back to the top arc. He made a hand gesture as he passed the ball and turned to walk inside.

Tony Allen quickly followed, but was taken aback. Was he really going to abandon isolation plays and play off-ball?

Soon, Tony Allen's confusion disappeared, and all he wanted to do was curse!
That shameless emperor has fallen to a low position!

Tony Allen fought hard, but facing Yi Shui, who had no ball in his hands and had lowered his center of gravity to a key position, he was completely unable to stop the opponent from creating position on the left side of the low three-second zone.

Upon receiving Curry's bounce pass, Yi Shui rammed into him.

Tony Allen, who was fighting back fiercely, was lifted off the ground. Even in mid-air, he could feel the continuous force from Yi Shui's waist. When he landed, he had already 'flew' into the reasonable impact zone!
Yi Shui grabbed the ball, turned around, switched the ball to his left hand, and jumped. Over Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace who was rushing over from the other side of the basket, he slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!

The cheers of the fans in the arena were immediately silenced by this play. They laughed as the Knicks players retreated on defense and began to boo fiercely.

Rivers stepped up, and Tony Allen's one-on-one defense against Yi Shui during the star-studded end of the quarter was a targeted adjustment he made based on the previous game against the Knicks and Tony Allen's defensive performance against the Thunder a few days earlier.

Even though tonight's situation is different from what he envisioned, he still arranged this matchup.

Durant is also known as "Little Emperor". Rivers believes that Tony Allen can defend Durant, and even if he can't defend Yi Shui, he can still limit him to some extent.

At the start of this defensive play, Rivers was ecstatic; Tony Allen had truly withstood Yi Shui's one-on-one attacks from the outside.

But the situation took a sharp turn for the worse in just a few seconds.

Yi Shui is not some 'mature Durant,' he's practically a god-like Durant!
Or to put it another way, a backpack on the perimeter and a flying devil on the inside!
...

Yi Shui only needed one low-post back-to-the-basket move to force Rivers to run to the sidelines and call for Tony Allen and Daniels to switch on defense, thus breaking down the opponent's defensive response.

Tony Allen is unstoppable in the paint, and Daniels, who has been injured and only received a one-year, $2 million extension, is unstoppable both inside and outside.

The Knicks' strategy unfolded smoothly. In the final three minutes of the quarter, they relied on Yi Shui's one-on-one plays, Curry and David Lee's support, and Chandler's aggressive play to score a 10-4 run and successfully take a 27-26 lead.

Yi Shui was quite disappointed; the other side was too cowardly and only gave him one chance to sit and beat Tony the hairdresser.

In the second quarter, Pierce and Garnett returned to the court, and together with Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace, they once again took the initiative.

But the Knicks' strategy had already been implemented, and their momentum was overwhelming; the Celtics simply couldn't stop them.

With Rondo absent, the Celtics' roster only performed well on defense. Their offense was much worse than in the first nine minutes of the first quarter. Despite taking the lead, they couldn't establish a clear advantage like they did in the first quarter, and the Knicks took the lead back after the official timeout.

Rivers pounded his chest in frustration several times. If Garnett hadn't been seriously injured and was still one of the top superstars in the East, he wouldn't have been afraid of this broken run-and-gun team... But now, he was helpless and could only watch as the other team gradually built up their momentum.

第二节比分24比22、第三节比分26比26、末节比分23比19……

The match ended at 7:30 p.m.

易水25投10中，其中三分球9中3，加上10中8的罚球，拿到31分17板6助攻1抢断2盖帽。

库里状态回暖，面对他擅长对付的隆多，13投6中、其中三分球6中2、加上3中3的罚球，拿到17分5助攻。

钱德勒14分11板、韦伯斯特9分、大卫-李12分6板……

The Knicks defeated the Celtics 100-93!
...

Late at night, Yi Shui returned to the hotel with the team. After washing up, he lay on the bed and browsed the news on his phone... The screen was too small, and his hands were too big, so it was really uncomfortable. But he didn't want to get up to get the computer from the box. He had played quite hard tonight, battling Pierce, Daniels, Garnett, and others for 42 minutes.

At this moment, he felt a little envious of elementary school students with small hands. Although they couldn't control the ball well with one hand, they could still manage to use the 3.5-inch screen. The iPhone 4 was coming out soon, but he remembered that its screen was the same size as the 3GS... Next time he went out to play, he would bring the racket with him. Although its functions were rather useless and it was completely different from a 'computer,' he could still browse the web.

He reviewed tonight's game, noting that the Celtics weren't as strong as he had imagined, but were also more difficult to deal with than he had anticipated.

In both matches, they used strategic planning to turn the games into close contests, but the point difference was only 7 points.

Last time he scored 40+, he only won by 8 points.

In other words, they didn't actually stop the Celtics or break through their defense; they just wore them down.

The Celtics' offense simply suffers a significant drop when either Rondo or Ray Allen is substituted.

This deficiency will be greatly compensated for in the playoffs, where the series can consist of 4 games in a week or 7 games in 13 days.

In games like that, the Celtics can wear down the opponent's long-range shooting by playing a series of drawn-out games.

At that time, the Celtics' long-range shooting might not only not be at a disadvantage, but could actually become an advantage, because they had Ray Allen, just like the Pacers had Reggie Miller in the 90s.

Yi Shui analyzed the situation and concluded that before the rules on defending cylinders were changed, the Celtics' playoff strategy was almost unstoppable, and the only option was to go head-to-head with them!

Another point is that although Rivers' in-game coaching ability is almost non-existent, relying purely on Rondo and Garnett's brains, he is very good at preparing for games and can always find ways to mess with the opponent.

Teams like the Magic, Cavaliers, and Hawks, with their fixed playing styles and lacking star players who can score high under intense defense, are almost certainly no match for this Celtics team in the playoffs.

Even after Garnett's major injury, he went from an all-around superstar to a pure defensive system core, and his strength dropped significantly.

The teams ranked second to fifth in the East, including Randolph and Granger's Pacers, have the ability to challenge the Celtics in a series, but Yi Shui estimates that their chances of winning are not very high.

The Pacers' main scoring threats are all in the frontcourt, which happens to be right in the Celtics' line of fire.

However, the tougher the Celtics are to beat, the more Yi Shui looks forward to meeting them in the playoffs.

He didn't want to miss the last glimmer of light from these veterans!

After a four-game road trip, on the 10th, Yi Shui returned to New York with the team.

With 3rd season over, basketball fans' attention has completely returned to the NBA, where the regular season is about to end.

Since their game against the Cavaliers at the end of last month, the Knicks, who have now won eight straight games, have been the focus of attention for fans, and the media has naturally given them extensive coverage.

The hottest topic right now is that the Knicks are poised to break their own record for the best season of the new century.

湖人队在99-00赛季、小牛队在06-07赛季，都拿到了67胜15负的战绩。

After securing their eighth consecutive win, the Knicks have a record of 63 wins and 14 losses, with only five games remaining. They have a chance to tie or even surpass the Knicks' record.

In this regard, there is another hot topic right now – the Knicks are about to tie their second-best record of the new century.

骑士队在08-09赛季、活塞队在05-06赛季菲利普-桑德斯接手后，都打出了64胜18负的战绩，尼克斯队只差1个胜场了。

Both topics are generating a lot of discussion. Yi Shui saw comments from normal fans saying that the Knicks will definitely surpass the Cavaliers and Pistons, and it will be quite difficult for them to catch up with the Lakers and Mavericks.

Of the last five games, there are two teams the Knicks face, with a combined record of 1 win and 5 losses: the Pacers and the Magic.

In the other three games, two against the Bulls and one away against the Bucks, given the Knicks' form after the All-Star break, the media and some fans believed they would definitely win.

New York fans are extreme, 'brainlessly' believing that the Knicks will finish the season with a winning streak and achieve the third-best record in history, second only to the Bulls.

Of course, there is another extreme...

In every news article and post that Yi Shui browsed, he saw fans saying how much the Pacers and Magic could beat the Knicks, that the Knicks could never win, and how talented the Bulls and Bucks' rising stars were, and that they all had a chance to defeat the Knicks.

This was actually alright; it was just normal, hostile fan comments. However, a small group of people were making very loud and malicious comments all over the place, cursing them in various ways... Seeing how anxious these people were, Yi Shui couldn't help but laugh.

After laughing, switch to a smaller account and start typing!
...

New York is one of the cities with the strongest basketball atmosphere in the United States.

As the regular season drew to a close, the atmosphere became even more intense.

On the morning of April 11, the mayor of New York City announced at a routine press conference that New York City is entering basketball season, and from today until July 1, New York will have another 'official city name'—Basketball City.

When Yi Shui heard this news, he once again felt how bizarre the American government was, doing things as if it were a joke.

However, the hype was truly effective, quickly igniting a buzz on television and online, and the fervent basketball atmosphere spread rapidly from New York through increasingly advanced information and communication channels.

It is foreseeable that this will drive a wave of consumption and boost economic development, which can be considered a beneficial move for the people.

The main reason for this effect is that the technology and infrastructure of the migrant workers are developed enough. Yi Shui remembers that when the mobile Internet era arrives and China's information and communication technology and infrastructure become number one in the world, similar bridges between the government and the people will also appear... Of course, no matter what, it will not be as rudimentary as the United States.

In the evening, the Knicks hosted the Bulls at home.

Tonight, the Knicks are going all out. D'Antoni and every one of his players will fight for victory in every game from now on!
Last month, even during the four-game road trip at the beginning of the month, D'Antoni didn't care about the final result and focused on preparation.

Who could have imagined that they would win all four games in six days against the Cavaliers, Magic, Jazz, and Lakers? They also won all four of their away games!
With only 5 games left, winning them all would break the new century record. For a head coach, this is a chance that may not come twice in his entire career, so he has to fight!
The same applies to the players!
Especially the role players, they have come to terms with reality and know that they can never become the person they dreamed of being as children, but they also have their own pursuits—to become a part of the 'strong'!

It's just a pity for the future king...

Harden's talent is obvious to everyone.

He only started receiving formal professional basketball training at the age of 14, averaging only 13 points per game in his freshman season. However, by his junior year, he had become the second-best high school player in California after DeRozan. In his senior year, he surpassed DeRozan in the rankings and became one of the top picks for the number one draft pick after two years in college.

He has solid fundamentals, can drive, shoot, and pass, and is as strong as Wade. Although his athleticism is not as good as Wade's, he is much taller and has a far superior long-range shooting talent. In his rookie year, he averaged 1.8 three-pointers made out of 5.1 attempts per game, with a shooting percentage of 35.3%.

Therefore, even though Gordon showed the ability to average 20 points per game at the beginning of his second season, the Bulls still kept him on the bench and poured all their resources from the backcourt into Harden.

However, when Yi Shui learned about Harden's situation, although he felt that the Bulls had great courage and were much stronger than the Pistons, he felt that they were acting too hastily.

The future king, facing such high expectations, seems to be unable to withstand them. He is the one who hits the wall the longest among the good rookies of the 2009 class. He finally managed to stand up in March, but withered again in April.

The Bulls currently have a record of 29 wins and 46 losses, ranking eleventh in the Eastern Conference.

In terms of ambition and leadership, rookie Harden is far inferior to rookie Rose... Ignoring ability and focusing only on ambition and leadership, in my memory, even Harden at his peak couldn't compare to rookie Rose.

In terms of upbringing, the Thunder team, with its supportive leadership and pressure, might be a better fit for Harden's personality.

30投17中，其中三分球5中3，加上7中6的罚球，易水打了36分钟狂轰43分9板3助攻2抢断1盖帽，率领尼克斯队以122比101大胜公牛队！
Throughout the game, the Knicks gave the Bulls no chance to pull off an upset. In the latter part of the fourth quarter, the Knicks' bench players came on and all worked hard to score.

尼克斯队连胜来到9场，战绩提升到64胜14负，追平了05-06赛季的活塞队、08-09赛季的骑士队的胜场数！

...

April 12th, a new week has begun.

This morning, the league announced the penultimate Player of the Week awards, triggering wails and various insults from Cavaliers fans.

Yi Shui averaged 37 points in 4 games last week, leading the team to a perfect 4-0 record and winning his 9th Player of the Week award this season!
At this time last year, James won his 7th Player of the Week award, holding the record for the most Player of the Week awards in a single season. Cavaliers fans raved about that record, as if he had already reached the level of "Snake, Buddha, and Shark" without a championship.

At that time, many fans of other teams or stars disapproved, but their voices couldn't beat the fans of LeBron James, who had the best record in the league and was the biggest favorite for MVP.

Now, other fans are picking up on the comments made by Cavaliers fans last year, praising Yishui to the skies, and doing everything they can to make Cavaliers fans unhappy.

When Yi Shui was browsing the forum, he was embarrassed by all the praise... Last year, James was only "comparable to the Snake, Buddha, and Shark in terms of not winning a championship", but he directly "comparable to the God Bird in terms of not winning a championship"!

But it feels pretty good. No wonder kings tend to associate with sycophants and distance themselves from virtuous people. Who doesn't like flattery?

Yi Shui actively sought out the Player of the Week award.

If you can't score against the Bobcats and Celtics and your scoring is below your season average, there's nothing you can do about it, and you were mentally prepared for that before the game.

But in the other two games... playing the Pistons back-to-back, Yi Shui was ready to go all out, and just then Hamilton exploded, and he and Hamilton went head-to-head, scoring 40+ points.

Last night, he didn't even bother acting anymore. He took 30 shots and scored over 40 points before finally leaving the court to rest.

With these two games, he racked up an average of 37 points per game for the week, surpassing Howard, who also had a four-game winning streak, to win Player of the Week.

This led Cavaliers fans to flood social media with comments calling him a stat-padder.

But it doesn't matter, I'll just let them criticize me.

Just as the team's current chance to reach 68 wins may never come again, his chance to continue breaking the record for most Player of the Week in a single season may also never come again.

This is an extremely rare occurrence. He won Player of the Week three times in his first month of competition, which allowed him to surpass LeBron James after only winning one Player of the Week each month from December to March.

It's extremely rare in the entire history of the NBA to have such a record when all the offense revolves around him and all the tactics focus solely on him, like this season.

He absolutely cannot waste this opportunity; he must break this record so much that no one can even entertain the thought of surpassing it!
In the Western Conference, Kobe, who won his third Player of the Week award of the season, was overlooked...

It's the first time that a Lakers star, especially a superstar like Kobe Bryant, hasn't been a hot topic for winning Player of the Week.

...

On the 13th, Yi Shui and his team arrived at the United Center in Chicago for a series of matches against the Bulls.

Yi Shui was clearly aiming for a scoring spree, and the Bulls players all noticed it, so they were doing everything they could to contain him tonight... but they still couldn't stop him.

The Yi River surged forward, launching a furious counterattack! When the battle devolved into positional warfare, they unleashed a barrage of attacks!

The Bulls signed Jim O'Brien as head coach. This coach is very good at developing young players. Harden, Eric Gordon, and Noah have all made significant progress under his guidance. But as for coaching... so far, they don't even have a basic defensive play. The players have to do it all on their own.

易水狂扔38次，命中17球，其中三分球4中0，但有9中9的罚球，连续第2场拿到43分，率队以109比95轻取公牛队！
Yi Shui's reckless and selfish play had another effect—the Bulls players lost all interest in offense and showed no signs of struggling.

Yi Shui scored 43 points with 21 missed shots in a single game. After the game, he was criticized by some fans, but because the game was won, the criticism was not very effective. Most people did not care about it. The Knicks have won 10 consecutive games!
What does it matter how many shots we miss if we win?
However, some people guessed that he still wanted to continue to 'win the weekly best' award.

On the 14th, Yi Shui and his team arrived in Milwaukee for the second stop of their three-game road trip, facing the Bucks.

In the evening, he was invited to participate in an exclusive interview with the Milwaukee Plain Dealer.

At first, the honest man asked some routine questions in a fake manner, and Yi Shui answered them normally.

As the questions continued, the honest man revealed his true intentions, directly asking whether he was trying to 'win the weekly award'.

The young reporter from the Honest Man's Daily was ready to expose Yi Shui's sophistry and ask more pointed questions.

But Yi Shui honestly replied, "Yes, I just want to get the last week's Player of the Week award. Look, I've already had 9 Player of the Week awards this season, just one short of a round number. If I don't get it, it will drive my obsessive-compulsive disorder crazy."

Furthermore, many people say that nine Player of the Week awards might be an unbreakable record. I don't want that 'possibility.' Wouldn't it feel more satisfying to make this record truly unbreakable?

Young reporter: "..."

He was baffled by Yi Shui; this guy never plays by the rules!
He suddenly remembered that his senior colleague had told him that when interviewing Yi Shui, he should just ask directly and not do any of that preamble or distraction; it was unnecessary…

The reporter suddenly asked an unprepared question: "Aren't you worried that other teams will target you to prevent you from winning the award by just saying it out loud?"

Yi Shui laughed and said, "I dare to say it, of course I'm not worried about this. If you want to stop me, come on! I'm definitely taking the weekly best player award this week. Even God can't stop me, I said it!"

(End of this chapter)