Champion, please stay!

Chapter 265, Section 263: The Frenzied Final Battle!
Yi Shui has only one goal tonight—to win!
Data and awards are not currently within his consideration.

如果输了，3胜1负，怎么着都争不过4胜1负、场均37分+场均三双的詹姆斯。

Conversely, as long as he wins the game, scores more than 18 points, has a 4-0 record, and averages 40+ points per game, he is a top candidate for Player of the Week no matter what.

We'll have to see what the Jews think then.

'Son of America,' 'Leader of Black Players,' 'Most Talented High School Player in History'... At the end of the season, he single-handedly carried the team to 50+ wins, put up crazy numbers, and defeated strong opponents to win Player of the Week.

Still known as the 'New York Emperor,' 'China's strongest player,' '40+ points per game,' and 'opening champagne before playing the game'... This is an unprecedented and unlikely-to-be-repeated record of 10 Player of the Week awards in a single season.

In short, we have to win the game first!
In the opening stages, taking advantage of his recent high-scoring streak and good form, Yi Shui launched a fierce attack for several rounds, shooting whenever he created a good opportunity, and passing the ball whenever the opponent double-teamed him, acting decisively and swiftly.

To put it simply, the Magic's defense is a combination of Howard, who has the ability to single-handedly hold up close-range and rim protection, and can even cover the mid-range. He is a combination of Garnett, who has a smaller coverage area, and Duncan, who has a lot of fouls.
Based on this, positions 1-4 provide unlimited outside help defense and area double-teaming.

It's okay if you can't defend one-on-one on the perimeter; one person can guard you while another blocks you, creating a double team and encircling you in the area without affecting the team's defense. That's what makes the Magic's defense so strong.

But if the opponent can still make the shot even when facing a tight defense or even a zone encirclement, then it exceeds the Magic's defensive limits!

Yesterday, Yi Shui repeatedly watched video clips of last year's NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Magic.

He noticed something that wasn't often mentioned by the media and fans—Kobe had a total of 37 assists in the five Finals games, including 8 assists in the first four games. In Game 5, the Magic collapsed, and the game was basically over by halftime, with Kobe only managing 5 assists.

Of Kobe's 37 assists, a whopping 21 came from the elbow area on the wings!

A sufficiently large long-range shooting threat forces perimeter defenders to stick close, and the speed of the breakthrough is fast enough to shoot the ball before the opponent's regular double-team can get in place, forcing the opponent to abandon cutting off passing lanes and move ahead... creating opportunities for direct passes to the wings and the basket.

Yi Shui borrowed Kobe's playing style. Under his leadership, the Knicks scored 12 points in the first 3 and a half minutes, 7 possessions, 4 of 6 shots, Curry and Hughes each made a three-pointer, and David Lee, who cut in, drew a foul from Howard who turned and rushed back, making both free throws!
On the Magic's side, Nelson and Howard were also leading the team in a fierce attack. Nelson made 2 of 3 shots, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, for 5 points. Howard grabbed an offensive rebound and scored against Chandler with a layup. Lewis made a long two-pointer... He scored 9 points in 3 and a half minutes, which was a good performance, but he was still suppressed by the Knicks who started the game on fire!

The two teams have faced each other 12 times over the past two seasons, not counting tonight.

Apart from the last game of the first half of last season's regular season, in which the Magic had a terrible shooting night, making only 6 of 25 three-pointers, this is the first time the Magic have been outplayed by the Knicks despite being able to make both three-pointers and long two-pointers at the start of the game!
The Magic were pressured from the start, partly because they couldn't stop Yi Shui's one-on-one play and passing, and partly because Carter was locked down by Yi Shui, going 0-for-3 from the field at the beginning!
His pull-up jumper couldn't shake off Yi Shui's interference, his step-back three-pointer couldn't get rid of Yi Shui's cover, and when he finally broke in, he was blocked by David Lee's elbow and Chandler's putback block.

It was only because Curry failed to defend Nelson and Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and scored against Chandler that the Knicks were able to establish a clear advantage from the start!

By the way, the Magic made another mistake at the start of the game – Howard actually grabbed two offensive rebounds, but when he drew a foul from David Lee, he missed both free throws. This was the first time in the four games the two teams have played this season that Howard had missed both free throws.

In their first three matchups, Howard shot an impressive 66.7% from the free-throw line, making 26 of 39 attempts. Even the Orlando Sentinel described it as "I thought I was dreaming." A reasonable analysis suggests that the Knicks' interior defense didn't provide enough physical contact for Howard. After all, even players as physically imposing as Ben Wallace and Chris Bird were like "skinny monkeys" next to Howard, and Tyson Chandler was practically a skinny stick next to him.

After a few rounds of fierce attacks, Yi Shui showed obvious signs of short-term fatigue and decisively handed the ball to Curry to create space and provide support.

With Curry and David Lee leading the team, they are no longer as passive as they were when they faced off against each other in January of last season and this season.

Previously, when Curry ran pick-and-rolls with Swift, Ben Wallace, Birdman, and Gibson, they couldn't shake the Magic's defensive formation. Those big men's ability to cut to the basket after the pick-and-roll was only so-so. As long as Nelson could provide basic coverage, Howard could easily cover the gaps, mainly because Howard's rim protection ability was too strong.

After the All-Star break, the Knicks acquired Chandler, and things changed.

Chandler may not have many other offensive skills, but he excels at executing pick-and-rolls and transitioning to fast breaks. He developed these skills over two and a half years playing alongside Paul, making him an absolute top player in the league. His timing in the pick-and-roll, his footwork to shake off guards' close defense, and his choice of routes when driving to the basket are all things that Howard has to put a lot of effort into defending.

This is why the Knicks were able to lose by only 5 points, 110-115, in their matchup in early March, despite the Magic's excellent three-point shooting. Chandler's addition gave the Knicks the conditions to defeat the Magic!

Tonight, with Yi Shui getting the whole team into a hot hand right from the start, Curry, Chandler, and David Lee led the team, connecting the inside and outside offense and maintaining their offensive firepower from the start!
整个首节德安东尼都没有进行人员轮换，因为打得太好了，开局易水猛攻阶段过后，8分钟时间里，全队16投9中、其中三分球4中2、加上6中4的罚球……打到11分40秒，尼克斯队以36比28领先魔术队8分！
Fortunately, Van Gundy wasn't as rigid as his brother. Although he was also passionate about defense, he didn't refuse to attack. Although his adaptability was lacking, he was bold and daring. After the official timeout, he even substituted Pietrus and used Nelson, Redick, Carter, and Lewis to play an extreme one-star-four-shooter game with Howard, keeping the point difference in single digits.

In the final possession of the first quarter, the Magic had possession of the ball. Nelson dribbled the ball and started the attack immediately after arriving at the frontcourt.

After Turkoglu left, the Magic didn't have a true All-Star perimeter player. Not to mention at the end of the quarter, even at the end of the game, they generally wouldn't run the clock, but would instead seize the best opportunities.

Nelson and Howard faked a screen. As soon as Nelson used the screen, Howard immediately cut to the basket. However, Nelson had already used this to get rid of Hughes's continuous defense and started his drive!
Curry on the wing didn't collapse, and Nelson drove straight into the paint under Hughes's pursuit. Chandler didn't retreat; his task was to block Howard. Nelson flew up for a layup... "Slap!"... Yi Shui rushed straight to the basket from the left baseline and slapped Nelson's layup away!
Hughes grabbed the ball, landed in the water, and then sprinted forward towards the frontcourt. Howard tried to rush over to block him, but was bumped by Chandler and didn't have time to react.

When 'Charge Ahead' is triggered, it starts at the fastest speed when successfully defending against the opponent's attack or counter-attack, making up for the impact of the baseline dash and block!

The Yi River rushed out!

Redick's speed is mediocre, and he lacks the ability to match his efforts.

Carter is no longer the player he once was. He was left behind as soon as he reached the center circle. He tried to intercept Hughes as he advanced, but Hughes passed the ball out before he could close him down.

Yi Shui received the ball at the three-point line, took two quick steps, jumped on the third step, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
The crowd erupted again! A powerful dunk from the three-point line!

Amidst the continuous cheers of the fans, Carter ran out to receive the ball and quickly released a shot. Although he avoided interference, the shot went sharply off course and bounced straight off the rim, triggering a long whistle...

The Knicks scored a whopping 38 points in the first quarter, finishing the quarter with a 10-point lead over the Magic, who had only managed 28 points!
...

During the break, commentators from various TV stations were all exclaiming in disbelief.

The Magic scored 28 points in the first quarter, which is quite impressive considering Carter only made 1 of 5 shots. Nelson, Howard, and Lewis all played exceptionally well.

But the Knicks actually scored 38 points!
易水15分、库里6分、大卫-李6分、钱德勒5分、休斯6分，五大首发飙得飞起！

全队23投14中，其中三分球7中4，加上8中6的罚球……除了休斯和钱德勒各有1次两罚中一这点瑕疵，尼克斯队首节进攻堪称完美。

This was something the TV commentators hadn't anticipated at all during their pre-match analysis.

They all overlooked two key points—

One is its defensive characteristics.

Since the Knicks had just played a game against the Pacers, and the Pacers defended exceptionally well, if Yi Shui hadn't scored 16 points in the third and fourth quarters and 32 points in the first half, the Knicks' score would likely have been kept below 100 points. In the first three meetings between the two teams this season, the Knicks scored less than 100 points in two games.

The Magic and the Pacers have similar defensive performances this season, and commentators naturally use the Pacers as a benchmark when analyzing their teams, but the two teams actually have completely different defensive styles.

The Pacers employ a pure "iron-blooded defense," while the Magic, though also primarily defensive, employ a "skillful defense."

Apart from the center position where the defensive intensity is high, the main defensive methods for other positions are to disrupt shots, guide the opposing player to the basket, and double-team in the zone.

Their positions 1-4 are mostly pitchers, so they can't apply too much pressure on defense, otherwise they might be the ones who suffer more.

With Chandler on the Knicks, and Curry's pick-and-roll play disrupting the opponent's defensive formation, the Magic were no longer able to stop the Knicks.

There is another crucial point – the Knicks' recent form.

This was something that not only the TV commentators, but also Stan Van Gundy and the Magic players overlooked.

The Knicks have won 12 straight games!

Since playing the Cavaliers at the end of last month, the Knicks have not lost a single game!

所有人的注意力，都在4月份8场比赛5次40+、场均39分上面，忽略了其他人的状态也非常好。

尤其是最近8场比赛，大卫-李场均14.5分8板、钱德勒场均11分10板、库里场均21分7助攻！

Back from the holiday break.

Yi Shui, Curry, and Chandler continued to play, while Duhon and Barnes replaced Hughes and David Lee.

With the regular season over, D'Antoni doesn't need to worry about the next game. Having already secured the top seed in the regular season, they have, as usual, three days to prepare for the playoffs.

Van Gundy continued to rely heavily on his starters, only replacing Carter with Ryan Anderson, while Nelson, Redick, Lewis, and Howard continued to play.

The Magic also need this win. They are tied with the Suns and Lakers at 56 wins and 25 losses. They can't catch up with the first-place team, but they all want to be second so that they can start the Finals at home.

Furthermore, having won the first two games against the Knicks but then lost the next two, the psychological pressure would be immense if they were to meet in the playoffs.

Da Fan is bold and decisive; if he can't defend, he'll just keep increasing his firepower!
His motivational speech during the break was also very effective. He put Carter, who was acting like a "senior" and unaware of reality, on the bench and emphasized that he should not let his personal emotions affect the team. This made Howard, who had been complaining about Carter in the first quarter, very happy. When Howard was happy, the whole team was highly motivated.

After the start of the second quarter, the Magic rained down three-pointers, making 4 of 6 three-pointers in half a quarter and scoring 18 points!
The three-point shooting cooled down in the second half of the quarter, but the overall firepower did not drop too much. They scored 16 points in 5 and a half minutes, racking up 34 points in the quarter!
However, unlike their matchup in early March, the Knicks were not overwhelmed by the Magic's barrage of three-pointers. The Curry-Chandler pick-and-roll combination, along with Yi Shui's isolation plays and passes, led the team to score 32 points in a single quarter and withstood the Magic's comeback!

At halftime, the score was 70-62!

Although Yi Shui and D'Antoni were disappointed that they couldn't widen the gap and were even narrowed by two points, they weren't too surprised.

The Magic's offense is indeed strong. In today's league, there are only a few teams that can truly contain the Magic's offense—the Lakers, the Pacers, and the Celtics.

Both the Cavaliers and the Spurs, whose tough-tactical approach is nearing its end, are in serious trouble.

Fortunately, they continued to relentlessly attack their key players in the second quarter and held on offensively, allowing them to maintain an 8-point lead despite the opponent making only 6 of 11 three-point attempts in the quarter.

After halftime, the two teams switched halves and resumed play.

霍华德单节3投3中、加上4中2的罚球，拿到8分4板1盖帽。

尼尔森5投3中，其中三分球2中1，加上1中1的罚球，单节拿到8分。

With Lewis adding 7 points, Redick hitting a three-pointer, Ryan Anderson making two long two-pointers, and White Chocolate making two free throws... the Magic scored another 32 points in the third quarter, slightly outscoring the Knicks who had 30 points.

After three quarters, the Magic narrowed the score to 94-100!

...

As the break began, D'Antoni looked at the score. The third quarter seemed to be in a disadvantageous position, but in reality... it was also very dangerous.

In the first half, the opposing team scored 19-12, narrowing the gap to 1 point. Fortunately, after an official timeout of 5 and a half minutes, they responded with an 18-13 run in the second half, widening the gap again.

However, although they were overwhelmed by the opponent's attack, they caught up again and their momentum became even stronger.

He looked at Van Gundy across from him. If Carter were replaced by Turkoglu, they might be the ones trailing now.

Van Gundy's experience reminded D'Antoni of his own time with the Suns.

In 07, his Suns team almost defeated the Spurs in the playoffs. Once they got past the Spurs, the Jazz and Cavaliers would be no match for them.

As a result, in the second season, despite having an even better start than in the 04-05 season, Cole sold Marion for a pittance...

Van Gundy was also unlucky; just as they made it to the Finals, the core of their tactics was abandoned by the management.

This season, the Magic have assembled an even more impressive group of shooters. If Turkoglu were still there, along with the even more powerful Howard, their offensive firepower would definitely be superior. They might even be able to compete with the Knicks, Suns, and Nuggets, and they would have a top-tier defense that none of them possess.

...

Back from the holiday break.

D'Antoni substituted Curry, Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Chandler.

Tonight, all five players played a significant amount of time. Curry and David Lee played 28 minutes in three quarters, Chandler and Hughes played 25 minutes, and Yi Shui played a remarkable 32 minutes.

Yi Shui only rested for 4 minutes in the first half of the third quarter, which was the period when the Knicks' offensive firepower dried up and they were almost overtaken by the opponent.

However, the opponent's physical condition is even worse!

Van Gundy brought in a lineup of Nelson, Carter, Lewis, Ryan Anderson, and Howard. Among them, Nelson, Lewis, and Howard did not rest for a second in the first three quarters!
Ryan Anderson was the best-performing role shooter on the Magic tonight, and Van Gundy continued to bring him back in.

Carter... It's the final quarter, and Van Gundy needs a superstar on the perimeter.

The Magic started the fourth quarter with the first possession.

Curry guards Nelson, Hughes guards Lewis, David Lee guards Ryan Anderson, Chandler guards Howard, and Yi Jianlian guards Carter.

Carter received the ball in the frontcourt, but didn't immediately start swinging at Yi Shui like he did in the first quarter.

Having been benched for two quarters, he has calmed down now. Although he is resentful and unwilling, he knows that if he continues to act impulsively, Van Gundy will not give him any face.

Another thing is that he can no longer stop Yi Shui from scoring high. 15 points in the first quarter, 13 points in the second quarter, and 10 points in the third quarter. Yi Shui has already scored 38 points. Unless he doesn't play in the final quarter, as long as he's on the court, he's guaranteed to score 40+ points for 5 consecutive games... The key is that this has nothing to do with him. During the half he spent sitting on the bench, he had already realized that he was being used as a pawn by that damn Kobe. It was Kobe who was surpassed in the number of 40+ points, but he still stupidly went to confront Yi Shui, who was in excellent form.

After his teammates were in position, Carter and Lewis initiated a pick-and-roll offense. Carter seized the opportunity to advance using the screen perfectly, drawing Curry to the wing for help defense before passing to Nelson on the right sideline.

Yi Shui quickly moved from the high post to the sideline, Nelson passed again, Lewis received the ball at the free-throw line, and Hughes quickly moved in to cover his lower body. Carter circled into the three-second zone from the right elbow area, rushed out from the free-throw line, Lewis passed the ball off, Carter rushed out to the three-point line, turned and shot a wide-open three-pointer... and it went in!
The Magic have narrowed the gap to 3 points, 97 to 100!
D'Antoni, standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed, began to flush red.

Carter's pick-and-roll pass and cut was brilliant, showcasing solid fundamentals that rival any superstar perimeter player.

D'Antoni recalls that when he first returned to the US as an assistant coach, Carter, in his second year, was already averaging 25+ points per game, was voted the All-Star MVP, and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team. He was considered the next Jordan and even overshadowed Iverson and Kobe.

He didn't expect Carter to be so badly tormented by Yi Shui in the first quarter, making only 1 of 5 shots and sitting on the bench for two more quarters. He was then directly used as the main offensive option by Van Gundy. He really dared to do that!
Carter, who didn't play in the first half, became a vital force!
When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, his teammates spread out to the right. Yi Shui was one-on-one with Carter at a 45-degree angle on the left, and drove to the elbow area, attracting a double team. He then passed the ball to David Lee, who cut in, and Lee attempted a layup over Howard who was rushing back... but it missed!
On the other hand, Carter continued to orchestrate the offense. Ryan Anderson moved to the left 45-degree angle, received the ball, and passed it to Nelson. Nelson moved to the right side of the top arc, received the ball, and hit a three-pointer!

The Magic started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, tying the game at 100-100!

Fortunately, Yi Shui received the ball on the left high post and immediately pulled up for a long two-pointer, stabilizing the situation.

The big screen displayed Yi Shui's latest stats: 14 of 24 shots made, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, plus 9 of 9 free throws, bringing his total to 40 points, marking his 5th consecutive game with 40+ points!

The crowd erupted in cheers. Before this, only Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant had scored 40+ points in at least five consecutive games!
Yi Shui wasn't focused on that; as he retreated to defend, he called out to his teammates to adjust their defense.

When it was the Magic's turn to attack, Yi Shui scored 40+ points. The Magic players were even more focused on the game, no longer caring how many points Yi Shui scored.

Carter continued to dribble the ball and initiate the offense, passing it out from inside to draw the Knicks' defense and create outside shooting opportunities.

This time, Chandler didn't stay under the basket the whole time. When Carter passed the ball and moved up around the three-second zone, he stepped up in time to limit the opponent's acceleration.

Lewis, who received the ball at the high post, was very focused. Seeing this, he passed the ball to Howard, who received it on the left side of the basket. David Lee rushed back to the basket in time and positioned himself in front of Howard.

Howard received the ball in this position and tried to dunk after squeezing past David Lee, but this time he couldn't push past David Lee and attempted a strong floater... which bounced straight off the inside right side of the rim! It bounced out to the left of the free-throw line!
Hughes, positioned behind Lewis, lunged forward to steal the ball, turned and dribbled quickly to evade Lewis's attempt to steal it, launching a counterattack!
Hughes and Curry were blocked by Carter, who was retreating to defend, at the mid-court line. Hughes took the initiative to move towards Carter and passed the ball to Curry over Carter's head.

Curry drove all the way to close range, saw no one under the basket, and wanted to dunk, but hesitated a bit. The image of him falling on his butt while dunking during the All-Star Rookie Game flashed through his mind...

He glanced back and tossed the ball toward the backboard.

The ball hit the center line of the backboard precisely, bounced back to the front, and Yi Shui, who was following up, quickened his pace and rushed into the paint. He jumped high, caught the ball in the air, pulled back, and slammed it down with a tomahawk dunk!
Hearing the fans' rising cheers, Yi Shui felt great about the dunk, but something felt off. He had already slowed down, and Carter and Nelson had stopped chasing, but Curry suddenly stopped when he got close.

For some reason, it reminded me of the scene where D'Angelo Russell hesitated to shoot on the fast break...

104-100, the Knicks regained a 4-point lead!
After two rounds of probing, the two teams began another back-and-forth offensive battle.

Those two rounds of probing allowed both sides to clarify their offensive strategies.

The Magic are no longer giving the ball to their star player.

Nelson has made 5 of 9 three-pointers, and Carter hit a three-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter. The Knicks focused their defense on their long-range shots, so they actively cut inside and made back runs to draw the Knicks' defense and create shooting opportunities for Lewis and Ryan Anderson on the front line.

If Howard doesn't have a chance to receive the ball and score directly, then don't pass the ball to him.

This current top center has one major flaw compared to most centers in NBA history who average 20+ points per game – his stamina declines and he loses the ability to score against defenses!

霍华德打满前三节，16投10中、加上11中6的罚球拿到26分14板3盖帽，现在进攻端已经废了。

However, Howard is still a significant threat. Whenever he makes a cut inside, the Knicks have to have someone cover him, at least to prevent him from stealing the ball. Tonight, he didn't throw a tantrum. He played too hard in the first three quarters without rest and was running out of energy, but he still tried his best to maintain his threat and provide help to his teammates.

The Knicks' offensive strategy is completely the opposite—it's time to get the ball to the leader!
Yi Shui has launched a full-scale attack!
Invest whether the opportunity is good or bad, just keep investing!

When he gets tired, he passes the ball to Curry and they spread out to hold their positions.

The score went back and forth between the two teams. The Magic, with their more spread-out shooting, took the lead at one point, led by the new force of Carter. Midway through the fourth quarter, they took a 118-117 lead over the Knicks.

But after the official timeout, Yi Shui circled around the baseline, received the ball, and hit a three-pointer over Lewis who was helping on defense. The Knicks regained a two-point lead of 120-118... From this point on, the Knicks began to regain control of the game!

The Magic's strength lies in their diverse scoring options, numerous shooters, and the unique characteristics of each shooter. Lewis can fire from all angles, Nelson can make shots even when the rhythm is off, Ryan Anderson is tall, Redick has good movement, and Carter is consistent when he doesn't see himself as a superstar. However, their weakness is also the same: a diverse scoring range and many shooters.

The Magic's victories often come from dominating the game in regulation time, squandering their opponents in one fell swoop. Their average net point differential of 7.6 points per game perfectly illustrates how they win.

However, if they fail to gain an advantage in regulation time, pitchers will struggle to find their rhythm due to fatigue and physical contact.

The Magic experienced this in the third quarter. They played so aggressively in the second and first half of the third quarter, dominating the Knicks, but then they lost momentum in the second half of the third quarter, and the point difference widened again.

The same thing happened again in the final quarter. After scoring 6 points in the first 33 seconds of the first half of the quarter, the Magic scored another 18 points in the next 6 minutes, racking up 24 points in half a quarter. After the official timeout, they fell into a slump once again.

No matter how he shoots from the outside, he can't make a single shot, and there's an even more critical situation—Howard can't get offensive rebounds!
The more the Magic missed their outside shots, the more aggressively the Knicks collapsed their defense, the less Howard could grab rebounds, and the more hesitant he became with his outside shots... and the vicious cycle began again.

The Knicks, who rely on their star players in the decisive stages, continued their offensive momentum from the first half of the quarter after the official timeout!
After sinking that three-pointer to regain the lead, Yi Shui scored a layup on a fast break with 7 minutes and 15 seconds left;
At 8 minutes and 23 seconds, Yi Shui cut to the inside, received the ball behind Howard, triggered the "Inside Dominator" move, and slammed the ball over Howard to complete a 2+1 play;

At 8 minutes and 55 seconds, Yi Shui received the ball, faked a drive to break free from Carter's close lower body defense, and hit a long two-pointer with a step-back.

At 10:31, Yi Shui received the ball at the top of the arc, used Curry's screen, drove two steps, and from a point just outside the free-throw line, before Ryan Anderson, Nelson, and Carter could close in, he pulled up for a long two-pointer and made it...

Starting with that three-pointer after the official timeout, Yi Shui got into the game, making 5 of 7 shots, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, plus 1 of 1 free throws, scoring a whopping 12 points. With Curry's long two-pointer and Chandler's offensive rebound and mid-range assist to David Lee, the Knicks scored 16 points in 4 minutes!
On the other side, the Magic had 9 offensive possessions during this period, making only 2 of 8 shots, including 1 of 6 three-pointers. Howard finally grabbed an offensive rebound but was fouled by Curry, and missed both free throws. Without the magical free throws of the first three quarters, the team only scored 5 points.

133-123. After Yi Shui hit a long two-pointer against three opponents, the Knicks' lead reached 10 points!
Immediately afterwards, Carter's fadeaway three-pointer over David Lee, set off a screen, missed, and Curry grabbed the defensive rebound!
With that missed shot, the Magic players, who had been on a 16-5 run, completely lost their fighting spirit.

When star players are needed to step up and solve problems, Howard isn't capable, Nelson isn't good enough, and neither is Carter!

Especially when Carter acted like a superstar and took those two shots over the defense, his teammates became increasingly desperate.

On the other side, there really is a superstar!

However, they still have things to do!
When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, and Curry received the inbound pass and advanced the ball, the crowd began chanting "Big," "Emperor," "Brook," and so on.

Curry arrived at the frontcourt, his first target being Yi Shui, while on the other side, the Magic players were all surrounding and intercepting Yi Shui.

In the first half of the final quarter, Yi Shui made 3 of 7 shots, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, plus 1 of 2 free throws, for a total of 8 points. In the past 4 minutes, Yi Shui made 5 of 7 shots, for a total of 12 points, bringing his total to 20 points in the quarter. Combined with his 38 points in the first three quarters, Yi Shui's total score has reached 58 points, tying his personal single-game scoring record set last season against the Lakers!

All the fans in the stadium and everyone on the Knicks team wanted to see Yi Shui break the record, while the Magic players naturally didn't want to see that happen.

Despite the Magic players' attempts to block him, Yi Shui found an opportunity. He crossed the middle, using screens from David Lee and Chandler to reach a position slightly below the right 45-degree angle, where Curry, who had been waiting, delivered the ball to him in time.

Yi Shui received the ball with a sudden stop and turned around. Howard tried his best to close in from the middle, but he was a step too slow. Yi Shui had already jumped up and launched a three-pointer over Howard's block attempt...

When 'Braking Genius' is triggered, it allows for sudden stops and shots in non-contact situations, reducing the impact on rhythm.

'Tower Sniper' is triggered, reducing the rhythm impact of pull-up shots... and the probability of a hot streak is also triggered!
The moment he released the ball, Yi Shui felt confident. After landing, he didn't look at the basket, but turned to face the fans outside the baseline, raised his head, closed his eyes, and opened his arms...

"Swish"

The pleasant sound of the net entering the network, carried by the microphone and speakers, reached the ears of everyone present.

The entire stadium went wild!

Especially the fans outside the baseline, they could clearly see that Yi Shui had already started celebrating the goal before the ball even went in.

A reporter in a high position captured a scene—Howard turned his head and saw the ball fall into the basket, then turned back and looked at Yi Shui's head in shock as he celebrated prematurely!

Van Gundy called a timeout, surrendering.

Carter just missed his second consecutive three-pointer, failing to narrow the gap to 7 points. With just over a minute left, the 10-point deficit is no longer a possibility. The score is now 123-136, and there's even less chance left.

Moreover, the opposing team, Yi Shui, made 22 of 38 shots, including 6 of 10 three-pointers, plus 11 of 12 free throws, for a total of 61 points!

Da Fan: Take your 60+ point game and get out of here... no, let's finish the game quickly and get out of here!

...

Throughout the timeout, the fans, Knicks players, and even the Knicks coaching staff were celebrating Yi Shui's first 60+ point game in his career. After the timeout ended and the referees urged the Knicks players to return to the court, D'Antoni finally remembered to make substitutions.

He substituted Duhon, Webster, Barnes, Gibson, and Birdman, a purely defensive lineup. Tonight, the Knicks will mainly focus on their starting lineup, and these players haven't played much.

With just over a minute left, the Knicks failed to score. Meanwhile, Brandon Bass, coming off the bench, attacked the basket and scored 4 points, narrowing the gap to single digits and saving face for the Magic. The Knicks didn't seem to care, and the players on the court were all laughing and joking.

The match ended at 10:22 PM.

易水61分8板7助攻2抢断2盖帽、库里19分6助攻、大卫-李16分7板、钱德勒11分8板、休斯14分……尼克斯队5人得分上双，以136比127击败魔术队。

After the final whistle blew, the basketball mecca turned into a sea of ​​joy.

A 13-game winning streak comes to an end! The final record is 68 wins and 14 losses!
Everyone present, including the security personnel, was celebrating wildly... because Dolan rushed onto the field, took the microphone handed to him by his secretary who had caught up with him, and announced that the entire team would receive double the bonus.

As for the Magic players, they left the court immediately after the game ended. They didn't want to continue being the background, especially Howard, who had already become the background of the Yi River. His adrenaline surged as he rushed into the player tunnel. His heart couldn't take the blow of that shot.

During the break in the celebrations, Yi Shui emptied the system and turned it on.

"Counterattack in the Southeast:"

与老鹰队交手：3胜1负；与热火队交手：2胜2负；与山猫队交手：1胜2负；与魔术队交手：2胜2负，合计8胜7负。

Congratulations on receiving the reward: Long-range shooting talent +1, your long-range shooting talent has increased from 96 to 97 (overall long-range shooting fundamentals rating: 93).

"The Road to the Scoring Title:"

You played 82 games this season, with a total score of 2915 points, averaging 35.54 points per game.

Dwyane Wade played 78 games, scoring a total of 2467 points, averaging 31.62 points per game.

LeBron James has played 75 games, scoring a total of 2300 points, averaging 30.67 points per game.

Carmelo Anthony played 70 games, scoring a total of 2002 points, averaging 28.6 points per game.

Advanced goal completed. Congratulations on receiving the reward: Stake Standing (skill).

**Standing Firm:** When using the triple threat offense: 1. If you choose a pull-up jumper, gain an adaptive 10% shooting speed bonus, +1 to jumping ability, and +1 to spring speed; 2. If you choose a drive, gain +1 to explosiveness and +1 to acceleration; 3. If you choose to pass, gain a slight adaptive increase to release speed and improved ball control.

My shooting talent has finally improved again, and my long-range shooting potential has expanded further. With the improvement in talent, my training efficiency will also improve to some extent.

Yi Shui was very satisfied with the new skills. Although the individual improvements were not much, they were comprehensive and all of them were hard bonuses!
Don't underestimate the mere 10% increase in shooting speed and 1 point in jumping ability; in crucial moments, that tiny difference can make all the difference!

Besides completing these two tasks, there were two other rewards, but Yi Shui could only complain about them.

"You have won the regular season scoring title. Congratulations on receiving the reward: All-Round Shooting Training Card (Month)."

"You led your team to a 68-14 record in the regular season and participated throughout the entire season, breaking the 21st-century NBA record. Congratulations on receiving the achievement reward: Quick Start Guide to the Hook Shot (Shaq O'Neal Edition)."

The reward mentioned earlier, though not much, is at least useful.

The guy behind this... he just got a backstab from the chubby guy the day before yesterday, and today he gets a hook shot from the big fat guy!

...

With the Knicks' farewell game over, all basketball fans' eyes are now on New York.

The next two games, which should have been more popular, Lakers vs. Nuggets and Suns vs. Grizzlies, were largely ignored by most fans, except for die-hard supporters.

Even during the already started game between the Suns and the Grizzlies, the commentators were discussing the Knicks.

Yi Shui's 61-point game, the Knicks' 13-game winning streak, 68 wins and 14 losses... every point can ignite a discussion.

The much-discussed "Battle of the Week between the Emperor and King" before the game has now been largely forgotten, except by a group of extreme fans.

In the four games this week, Yi Shui didn't get many rebounds, averaging 8.5 per game, and his assists were also low, averaging 3.5 per game. His steals and blocks were also below his season averages of 1.5 and 2 per game.

He's not all-around, very incomplete; he's just a small forward who can rebound and pass the ball decently.

但4场比赛他分别拿到43分、53分、46分、61分……场均50.75分！
With an average of 37+10+11, LeBron James' performance in five games this week was truly phenomenal, even astonishing. Even normal, unbiased New York fans and Yishui fans felt that James had performed exceptionally well over the past week.

But averaging a triple-double seems so...ordinary compared to scoring numbers starting with '5'!
(End of this chapter)