Champion, please stay!

Chapter 268.266. The Battle Between Emperors and Kings: The Great Emperor Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with Gods!

Mike Brown substituted Delonte West for Mo Williams early.

There were no rotations or tactical adjustments in other positions. The opening tactics were actually fine, but the personnel issues were the problem.

Mike Brown wanted to ask what happened to Mo Bu Chuan, how did it become Mo Bi Chuan?
But after the game restarted, he walked over to Mo Williams, unsure of how to start a conversation.

Mo Buchuan did nothing 'wrong' tonight.

On offense, Mo Williams made normal, even aggressive, runs, always heading to the playmaking point as soon as possible, but he avoids holding the ball if possible, passing it to James in the frontcourt.

Mo Williams wasn't refusing to shoot, but when Yi Shui came in to help, he didn't rush to shoot like he used to.

The problem is that whenever James chooses to run a pick-and-roll, Yi Shui will leave his switch target Hickson wide open and always be able to cover Mo Williams's playmaking opportunities. If there is no open shot, Mo Williams will either pass or shoot and pass back to James.

On the defensive end, Mo Williams was also very active, keeping a close eye on Curry and chasing him relentlessly. When he encountered a screen, he would even go around to chase him, never leaving his defensive target unattended.

In terms of playing style, Mike Brown couldn't find fault with Mo's passing ability. In fact, the points that Cavaliers fans have often criticized Mo for not passing the ball over the years were not seen tonight.

However, for a point guard to play with the goal of 'not making mistakes' is a disaster for a team, whether on offense or defense!

Regardless of the type of point guard, they all need to take risks on offense, and there are generally two styles.

The first type is point guards like Nash and Paul, who pursue extreme consistency in shooting and usually don't shoot if the opportunity isn't good, but love to take risks and are very bold in passing.

For them, passing the ball to those others dare to do is a basic skill; passing the ball to those others dare not do is their regular passing choice; and the opportunities that others miss are their chance to showcase their abilities.

The second type is point guards like Billups and Bibby, who don't have much imagination when it comes to passing, but are very bold when it comes to shooting.

They dare to take responsibility; they dare to make shots that others wouldn't, and they always manage to score difficult goals and turn the tide of battle.

Besides these two, there is another special player—Kidd…

Mo Williams is a prime example of players like Chauncey Billups. His unrestrained style of play is crucial for the Cavaliers. He always takes on the task of scoring, making difficult shots, and ensuring the smoothness of James' drive-and-kick offense.

His decision to stop playing recklessly has had a huge impact on James's drive-and-kick style of play.

In one play, James got pushed to his limits and took three big steps from the free-throw line. The referee blew the whistle as soon as he landed on his fourth step.

In this basketball mecca, footwork is strictly called according to the rules. Three big steps followed by a jump step or even a crossover are allowed, but no more.

On the defensive end, any wing defender has the job of collapsing to help defend and cover. Help defend is essentially a defensive 'mistake', leaving the secondary defensive target open and double-teaming the primary target. If done well, like Paul and Rondo, they can also completely cut off passing lanes on the sidelines.

O'Neal was unlucky in this regard. James's aggressive, high-pressing defense couldn't stop Yi Shui's rhythmic breakthroughs, while Yi Shui's speed was top-notch and his acceleration was close to the best in history.

Without the delay from wing players in the elbow area, O'Neal simply couldn't stop Yi Shui unless he extended to the three-second sideline in advance. He was no longer the Big Diesel who could single-handedly defend the basket and deliver one of the best rim protection performances in the league during his time with the Lakers and Heat.

Mike Brown was racking his brains about how to start the conversation when suddenly, James roared from the court.

He turned his head and saw James gesturing and cursing at West.

The big screen is replaying the play from just now. Just like Mobvoi, West received the ball but it wasn't a good opportunity, so he passed it back to James!
James received the ball and pulled out, but couldn't score. With time running out, he passed it to West again.

But West didn't maintain the same aggressive movement as Mo Buk. After passing the ball, he moved to the corner. James passed to the sideline, Curry held West tightly, and the ball flew out of bounds!

Mike Brown was stunned by West's reaction after being scolded by James. Then, he realized that the sky had fallen!
West's most prominent label is neurotic and emotionally unstable.

He's not the kind of person who doesn't talk back when he's insulted; the player on the team who loves to go against James the most is West.

But this time West didn't react at all when he was scolded. He ran back to the backcourt to follow Curry and ignored James!

Mike Brown thought it was alright that Mo Bukchuan was playing like this. They still had West. West would be a starting player on any other team, a high-salary substitute with $800 million for two years. He had plenty of time to communicate with Mo Bukchuan properly.

But if West plays like that, there's only one possibility—the two of them planned it together!
...

The problem is more serious than Mike Brown imagined.

It wasn't just the two point guards who were always criticized by Cavaliers fans and always had to take responsibility for losses who quit; Jamison, who came off the bench, also stayed in the corner and acted as a shooter, just like the two point guards, no longer actively asking for the ball like before!
Throughout the first quarter, the Cavaliers' offense was terrible, scoring only 12 points!
Their defense was also poor; by the end of the first quarter, they couldn't even stop fast breaks, allowing the Knicks to score 31 points in the quarter, leaving them trailing 12-31 by 19 points going into the second quarter!

The second quarter started similarly, with a score of 6-14, widening the gap to over 20 points.

After the official timeout, Mike Brown had to put Mo Williams, West, and Jamison on the bench, move Daniel Gibson to point guard, and increase the playing time of Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Veterans like O'Neal, Anthony Parker, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas; James' loyal followers like Varejao and Gibson; and players like Hickson and Jamario Moon, who don't usually demand the ball or shots... all played very hard, which is quite normal.

When using only these players, the Cavaliers played normally on both ends of the court. In the second half of the quarter, their defense improved, limiting the Knicks, who were playing too aggressively, to 12 points.

But their offense was just average; it didn't go up in the way of being 'good'!
These players who are playing normally and putting in a lot of effort are not the Cavaliers' main scorers, and James does not rely on these people on offense.

Even O'Neal has faded from the ranks of main scorers after Jamison joined the team. The Cavaliers' offense requires Mo Williams, West, and Jamison to take those difficult shots and need them to take over the ball and score in mid-to-long range when necessary.

No matter how hard those guys played, they couldn't replace the three guys' role on the offensive end!

In the latter part of the second quarter, the Cavaliers only scored 12 points. At halftime, they trailed the Knicks by 27 points, 30-57!
In the third quarter, the Knicks regained their focus and stopped making mistakes on both offense and defense, and once again built a clear advantage, with the score in the quarter being 26-20!

易水首节18分、第二节12分、第三节11分，三节22投14中，其中三分球5中3，加上10中10的罚球，狂轰41分，外加7板3助攻3抢断1盖帽。

He scored 40+ points in three quarters and clocked out, leading his team to an 83-50 lead over the Cavaliers by 33 points!
...

In the final quarter, most of the starting lineups for both teams had been substituted.

The Knicks brought in a lineup of Chalmers, Webster, Barnes, Gibson, and Birdman to play garbage time.

On the Cavaliers' side, the other four starters were also substituted, leaving only James on the court, fighting alone against fate, unwilling to accept defeat and trying to create a miracle.

Mike Brown sat on the bench with only one thought in his mind—it's over, I'm going to lose my job!

Mo Bukchuan and West have had their share of disagreements before. In early March, during the second game against the Knicks, the two protested on the court.

But at that time, both players had a clear demand—to have possession of the ball.

This situation isn't scary; on the contrary, Mike Brown is happy to see the two players actively contesting for possession, thus distributing the ball more evenly, though he doesn't dare say it.

After the two had a few arguments and successfully gained possession of the ball, the Cavaliers' record improved again towards the end of the season. After almost losing hope of winning 50 games, they achieved an 8-3 record in April, reaching 53 wins.

The situation is truly terrifying now. If the two of them stop competing and fighting for the ball, then they are no different from ordinary catch-and-shoot players... No! These two are not even as consistent as Gibson, who only has the ability to catch and shoot. Both of them are ball-handling offensive players!

And then there's Jamison, a power forward who can only catch and shoot, who isn't very useful to the Cavaliers, especially since they don't have Howard...

The key point is that these three people are all "playing dumb" together, which means it's not just one person being petty; the internal conflict within the team has completely escalated!

The match ended at 10:23 PM.

詹姆斯末节狂飙15分4板5助攻，全场33投12中、其中三分球11中2，加上12中8的罚球，拿到34分9板8助攻2抢断。

The team achieved a score of 33-23... but the comeback attempt failed.

The Knicks thrashed the Cavaliers 106-83, taking a 1-0 lead in the series!

Most of the Cavaliers players looked bewildered, and the Knicks didn't expect to win so easily either; even a team like the Kings, who were tanking, might not have had such an easy time.

要不是詹姆斯末节拿到15分5助攻，率队打出了33比23的反扑，就将是一场30+分差的屠杀！

When Yi Shui waved to the fans at the scene, he checked the progress of the mission.

With a score comparison of 41 to 34, the overall score is 1 to 0... This high-scoring duel has started with a winning streak!

It's a little regrettable that the point difference was too big, just like last year when the Nuggets played the Hornets. The point difference was more than 30 points after three quarters, and Anthony didn't dare to go up and score in the final quarter.

In this game, Yi Shui was also confused at the beginning. He knew that they had the advantage in strength, but the opponent's performance was too outrageous. They started with a 9-2 lead and then went 31-12 in the first quarter.

However, he didn't think too much about it at the time and focused on the game.

It wasn't until they completely crushed the opponent in the third quarter, and in the final quarter, when Curry, Chandler, Ben Wallace, Birdman, and others joked that the opponent was still playing aggressively even in garbage time, that they roughly understood what had happened to the opponent.

This morning, after training, he was browsing the news when he saw that media outlets, led by ESPN, had started hyping things up again, comparing their roster with the Cavaliers', saying that every position on the Cavaliers was worthless, and praising their Knicks' roster to the skies.

This tactic also occurred before the first round, with ESPN belittling other Cavaliers players and praising the Hawks for having six 'All-Star caliber players'.

The purpose is easy to guess: first, create the impression that the Cavaliers are at a disadvantage; if they win, they can praise the player with the best stats; if they lose, then it's normal.

However, playing against the Hawks and playing against the Knicks are completely different situations for some Cavaliers players. The Cavaliers players are not afraid of the Hawks at all. James and a few pure shooters can crush the opponent.

The Knicks have been the Cavaliers' biggest nemesis in the past two years, and the root cause of many conflicts within the Cavaliers over the past two years.

The fact that the Cavaliers were being treated this way when facing them head-on caused the pent-up emotions of several Cavaliers players who usually shoulder responsibility to finally erupt, and they were no longer going to play along with the Kings.

Yi Shui felt like she'd been stabbed in the buttocks tonight.

However, the world of competitive sports is always full of wonders, which is perhaps part of the charm of sports.

...

The next day at noon, Yi Shui woke up in his hotel room, stretched, and looked at the Dragon Mother beside him.

This British girl seems to have gotten a little addicted after tasting the sweetness of success. She came to Madison Square Garden to watch the game again last night, and even followed him to a nightclub afterward.

This time, Yi Shui wasn't ridden by the dragon; instead, he became a knight and retaliated with two shots.

After having lunch together, they said goodbye happily. They both enjoyed the experience and weren't particularly interested in anything else.

Yi Shui arrived at the stadium, had eaten his fill and felt energetic, so he continued his extra training in the afternoon.

But instead of going to the training ground immediately, he browsed the news.

Sure enough, there was more fun to watch after the game against the Cavaliers!
The Cavaliers' crushing defeat last night shocked everyone; New York fans never expected it to end like that, with a margin of more than 30 points.

The small group of extreme Cavaliers fans, who have offended people everywhere over the years, are once again facing backlash, with the Cavaliers being ridiculed across the entire internet.

That small group of fans broke down again, continuing to offend people online and launching indiscriminate attacks...

Some media outlets have introduced new whitewashing tactics.

"King's near triple-double isn't enough to lead the team; his teammates are afraid of the Knicks and dare not take responsibility." — ESPN

"The role players failed to step up, leaving King isolated and helpless, letting out a frustrated roar." — The Honest Daily.

"King's teammates are either old or cowards; his situation is heartbreaking." — NBC Sports

"..."

"..."

Yi Shui felt a little sorry for Mo Buchuan, West, and Jamison.

They played aggressively and took difficult shots, but still lost and got criticized.

This time, he didn't fight for possession of the ball. He obediently played the role of a 'role player' in the eyes of the media and Cavaliers fans, making no mistakes. Even though they lost, he still got criticized.

However, these three brothers brought this on themselves.

According to media reports, Mo Williams requested a trade to the Cavaliers because of his personal relationship with LeBron James. The Bucks were looking to start a new round of rebuilding, and the Cavaliers were able to offer him an expiring contract, so they traded him away in exchange for an expiring contract and draft picks.
Delonte West had the opportunity to leave the Cavaliers after his contract expired in 2008. At that time, a team offered him a three-year, $10 million contract, but the Cavaliers offered him a two-year, $8 million contract. He chose to stay for the extra hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary each year.

When Jamison was traded to the Cavaliers, he was overjoyed, shouting into the TV cameras, "I've finally joined a real powerhouse!" This made the Wizards fans, who were initially reluctant to see him go and wished him a safe return from his slump, collectively break down in tears.

The Cavaliers are the most hated team by Wizards fans. Fans can wish Jamison a bright future with the Wizards, but Jamison publicly said those things...

At 2 PM, Yi Shui gritted his teeth, shut down the computer, resisted the temptation to continue watching entertainment, and started practicing more.

Putting aside the controversies, the fact that James doesn't have a truly superstar-level teammate is certainly not an obstacle on his path to success.

On May 7th, the Knicks continued their series against the Cavaliers at home.

Mike Brown opted to bench the small squad of Mobley, West, and Jamison tonight, fielding a starting lineup of Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker, James, Varejao, and O'Neal.

He tried to communicate, and O'Neal, as always, took the initiative to mediate the conflict.

However, the public opinion following Game 1 solidified the three players' resolve to 'play well'.

Mo Buk and Jamison have stated that they will request a trade this summer, while West has refused to communicate.

The hottest topic these past two days is the difference between how the Emperor and King evaluate their teammates.

This is heartbreaking for all three of them!
Mike Brown could only field this lineup, and to make the backup frontcourt lineup more balanced, he started Varejao to form a large twin towers, with Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas as substitutes.

Mike Brown's pre-game preparation is excellent, and his lineup management is also outstanding. The Cavaliers played much better tonight than in the last game, and they were evenly matched with the Knicks for a period of time.

However, as the game progressed, the role players' impact began to decline, and star players were needed to step up and solve problems more often, which revealed the gap in strength.

As the game progressed, the commentators' discussion turned to—who scored more points tonight, the Emperor or the King?
The match ended at 10:21 PM.

The Knicks easily defeated the Cavaliers 103-92, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

詹姆斯32投15中，其中三分球6中2，加上12中9的罚球，拿到41分12板11助攻3抢断1盖帽，打出了40+三双的恐怖数据。

But the score is soaring...

易水29投15中，其中三分球9中4，加上12中11的罚球，拿到45分9板3助攻3抢断2盖帽！

After the match, Yi Shui looked at the data on the big screen.

Tonight, the opposing team played purely on defense with James driving and dishing, losing the offensive variety that Mobley, West, and Jamison brought during their regular season matchups. Their game was also simple: team offense against regular offense and defense, with him stepping up for one-on-one plays when the team's offensive firepower was insufficient.

There were fewer rebounds than James, which is normal tonight. James always pulls back to protect the boards and pushes the ball up the court himself.

This season, he's increasingly fond of blocking opposing forwards from getting rebounds, and after his teammates grab the rebound, he'll quickly run down the court, the faster the better.

But he was 8 fewer assists, and the opposing role players only had 51 points combined... It doesn't matter anymore, as long as he scored and won!
...

After the first two games, the Knicks had two days of rest. They didn't go to Cleveland immediately on the 8th, but instead went on the 9th, the day before the game.

Walsh brought even more security personnel with him this time.

On the Yi River side, Batelstein also arranged for him to have six security guards.

At first, he and his teammates complained that it was making a mountain out of a molehill, but when they arrived at Cleveland Airport, they felt it was necessary.

Cavaliers fans rioted!

When Yi Shui arrived at the holiday villa on the outskirts of the city, he read the local newspaper and felt the power of the media and the effectiveness of joyful education.

Cleveland local media outlets are fabricating all sorts of stories and shifting the blame, naturally targeting the Knicks.

Judging from the reactions of local fans, they believed those obviously fake reports...

Some unscrupulous individuals took advantage of this atmosphere to rob others during the chaos.

According to the latest news reports, all the shops at the airport closed early, but they were still broken into and looted.

Every time Yi Shui plays an away game in Cleveland, his horizons are broadened.

He was curious to see what kind of antics the Floridaers, who didn't tolerate idle players, would create if James ended up with the Heat.
However, the fans there didn't seem to care much about the home team...

After a night's rest, May 10th marked the third day of the Knicks-Cavaliers series.

After the preparations were completed, Yi Shui sat in front of the computer in the rest room...

The Cavaliers went a bit too far this time, practically emptying the visiting team's training facility and locker room! They didn't even provide many basketballs.

Fortunately, everyone knows the Cavaliers' owner's track record; the Celtics faced a similar situation in 2008. Walsh was prepared and brought everyone he could. At noon, Yi Shui refreshed the webpage precisely on time, and the NBA official website's headline was updated: the All-NBA Team roster announced!
All-Rookie Team.

Evans, Darren Collison, Harden, Jennings, Marcus Thornton, and others were selected to the All-NBA First Team.

DeJuan Blair, Jonny Flynn, Jerebko, Terrence Williams, Thabeet, and others were selected for the second team.

The entire All-Rookie First Team is made up of guards!
The All-Rookie Team has no position distinction; players with the highest scores are selected.

But Yi Shui still felt it was an exaggeration, as Lawson, AJ Price, Jrue Holiday, DeRozan and other guards were also left out of the selection.

Price is a 'fully-formed' player who has little room for further growth, but Lawson, Holiday, DeRozan, and others have very bright futures, plus Rubio who hasn't even entered the NBA yet... The 09 draft class can definitely be called a super year for guards, even without Curry.

When Yi Shui saw the title, a smile immediately appeared on his face—"The Emperor Gets Unanimous Votes for First Team, Leading the Best Lineup."

First team: Wade, Kobe, Yi Shui, James, Howard.

Second Team: Nash, Deron Williams, Durant, Nowitzki, Stoudemire.

Third Team: Curry, Roy, Anthony, Gasol, Duncan.

The fourth-ranked center was Yao Ming, who averaged 17.9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks per game... Duncan and Stoudemire were both placed at the center position.

When Yi Shui clicked on the "Best Defensive Lineup," he burst into laughter.

He was selected for the second defense!

But after looking at the list, an unexpected situation occurred—King was only selected for the second defense!

First team: Rondo, Kobe, Gerald Wallace, Duncan, Howard.

Second Team: Wade, Sefolosha, Yi Shui, James, Varejao.

Yi Shui himself was only selected for the All-Defensive Second Team, which he fully accepted and was even happy about. After all, their overall defense was only in the middle of the league. Moreover, after the All-Star Weekend, he reduced his defensive efforts, and his steals and blocks dropped significantly compared to the first half of the season. He once had a chance to compete with Howard for the block title, but in the end, he averaged 2.4 blocks per game.

But James only has the Second Defense...

Yi Shui suddenly remembered that the defensive formation was determined by a vote of the head coaches of each team.

The most commendable aspect of James' defense is his absolute dominance over ordinary players and second-tier stars. Players like Crawford and Josh Smith would have a terrible time against James.

The Cavaliers are a defensive team. If they get the best record in the league or the best record in the East, they should be rated as a top-tier defensive team. Only LeBron James' overall defensive performance deserves that.

But this season the Cavaliers are only fourth in the East and tied for seventh in the league with the Jazz. There aren't many good defensive players at the center position. Varejao squeezed into the All-Defensive Second Team, so it would be excessive to give James the All-Defensive First Team as well.

After celebrating with his teammates the elementary school student's narrow 9-point victory over Rondo and 12-point victory over Joe Johnson to be selected for the All-NBA Third Team, Yi Shui opened the Cavaliers fan forum... and the posts were indeed interesting.

This time, the criticism was directed at Gerald Wallace and Duncan. There were also some criticisms of Yi Shui, but relatively few this time, because Yi Shui's scoring was not as high as James'. At most, he was criticized for "stealing James' votes".

Cavaliers fans are listing all sorts of statistics.

James' defensive rating this season is as high as 5.6, second only to Howard's 7.1, ranking second in the league;
The opponent is limited to 99 points per 100 possessions, only lower than Howard's 95 points and Yao Ming's 98 points, ranking third in the league.

Yi Shui also thought it was impressive; the Cavaliers' defensive efficiency was much higher than his. But the Cavaliers weren't the best defensive team, nor were they the best team in terms of record. They already had two players selected for the All-Defensive Second Team, so what was there to be dissatisfied with?

What's even more regrettable is Garnett. After the All-Star break, he limited opponents to only 96 points per 100 possessions, with his individual defensive efficiency almost on par with Howard. He also led the Celtics to limit opponents to only 91 points in the last 28 games, but due to his poor overall performance in the first half of the season, he didn't score any defensive baskets.

But if Garnett makes it, then there's nothing left for him... Let's just let the Wolf King suffer a bit, anyway, the Wolf King doesn't need this one trophy.

...

This series is getting more and more exciting for Yi Shui.

At noon, Cavaliers fans were chanting that "the first defensive play was rigged." In the afternoon, LeBron James himself appeared on camera to criticize the voting and made some bold statements.

"We are in a very dangerous situation right now, but I will not back down."

From a young age, I've faced more difficulties than others, and the same is true in the NBA. I haven't had the luck to play in a big city, nor the perfect team setup that others have. I've always relied on myself, but I won't be afraid of difficulties, nor will I run away. These are all marks of my growth. I will carry the team forward, and I will be the ultimate winner.

When Yi Shui was browsing the forums this afternoon, he saw Cavaliers fans flooding the screen with expressions of emotion...

He felt that New York fans were lacking in fighting spirit lately! Look at the Cavaliers fans, they come up with all sorts of new ideas every day.

However, he felt he also had to bear some responsibility, as he hadn't set a good example...

At 7:30 p.m., at Quicken Loans Arena, Yi Shui and his teammates arrived at the players' tunnel.

Before the opening ceremony even started, he heard fans in the stadium shouting, "Mo, get out!"

There was an inexplicable sense of power, and the entire stadium was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

The competition started at 8 p.m.

The Cavaliers had a great offense in the first quarter, shooting 9-for-20 from the field. They were slightly less prolific from three-point range, shooting 2-for-7, but their 7-for-7 free throw shooting was particularly impressive. O'Neal made all three of his free throw attempts, and James made all four, giving the team 27 points.

Tonight, Yi Shui made adjustments to their tactics based on the opponent's defense.

Varejao and O'Neal have spread out to very far positions this time, almost to the middle, while Anthony Parker on the other side is very aggressive in collapsing.

After two rounds, Yi Shui opted for a 'fake attack', drawing out the opposing twin towers before passing back to Curry and Chandler in the high post for a pick-and-roll to initiate the attack.

Curry opted for a quick shot and pass, and Hughes and David Lee on the wings also caught and shot the ball... Yi Shui went on a crazy offensive!
易水单节抢到4个进攻篮板球，8投5中、加上2中1的罚球，拿到14分5板2助攻盖帽，率领尼克斯队单节轰出31分！
In the second quarter, the Cavaliers used physical play to successfully reduce the Knicks' outside shooting efficiency, allowing them to score only 23 points. However, their own offensive efficiency also dropped, shooting 8-for-21 from the field, including 1-for-5 from three-point range, and 5-for-10 from the free-throw line, for a total of only 22 points.

今晚詹姆斯打得非常拼，中场休息过后，第三节重新发起猛攻，单节7投3中、其中三分球3中1、加上6中4的罚球拿到11分3助攻，率队单节拿到25分。

However, Yi Shui's scoring performance was better. He made 6 of 10 shots in the quarter, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, plus 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 17 points, along with 3 offensive rebounds, 2 defensive rebounds, and 2 assists, leading the team to 28 points. He not only withstood James' comeback, but also widened the gap to 3 points!
82 to 74, the score difference came to 8 points!
In the final quarter, Yi Shui, who played the first three quarters of this year's playoffs and took 26 shots in those three quarters, couldn't keep up with the shooting. He only made two of his seven shots, plus two of his free throws, for a total of only six points.

但詹姆斯那边5投2中加上3中2的罚球，也只拿到6分。

Regarding his teammates' performance, besides him, only Curry scored 3 points, Chandler 2 points, and Birdman, who came off the bench, scored 4 points with two putback dunks. The team scored a total of 15 points, which is very low.

But the Cavaliers were even worse! Apart from James' 6 points, only O'Neal scored 4 points and Anthony Parker made a three-pointer.

At 10:21 p.m., the final whistle blew.

首节10分、第二节8、第三节11分、末节6分，詹姆斯28投11中，其中三分球7中2，加上15中11的罚球，拿到35分8板8助攻2抢断4盖帽。

Tonight, Yi Shui felt that James' performance lived up to his words from this afternoon: "I will carry the team forward."

James delivered a defensive performance similar to Garnett's tonight. With O'Neal, Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas spreading out too far, James excelled at collapsing to help defend, making interceptions and steals, leading the Cavaliers to a superb defensive performance.

Furthermore, they demonstrated defensive stability and consistency, improving their defense as the game progressed.

However, there was an obvious loophole that Yi Shui seized upon!
Tonight, Yi Shui's offense was as slippery as an eel, frantically circling around obstacles to steal rebounds. They had 4 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, 1 in the second, 3 in the third, and 2 in the final quarter... The 'Frontcourt Beast' skill, which usually has a low trigger rate, was all over the system screen tonight!

If he grabs an offensive rebound at close range, he will receive a bonus to his standing jump; if he grabs a rebound from beyond close range, he will receive a bonus to his starting speed.

首节14分、第二节8分、第三节17分、末节6分，易水打满全场，33投16中，其中三分球8中3，加上12中10的罚球，狂轰45分18板7助攻1抢断2盖帽！

Of Yi Shui's 45 points, 10 came from second-chance opportunities. Of his 7 assists, 3 came from rebounding the ball and then passing it to his teammates who were open and able to score.

In addition, Birdman had two putback dunks in the final quarter, David Lee had one putback in the second quarter and one in the third quarter, and Curry had a close-range rebound and floater in the first quarter...

靠着26分的二次进攻得分，尼克斯队以97比87击败骑士队，大比分3比0领先！

...

On the 11th, the NBA took a day off to hold the draft lottery.

As Yi Shui predicted, the Wizards got the number one draft pick.

He didn't quite remember the other picks, but they didn't match up with his impression of them.

He recalled that Cousins ​​was selected 5th overall by the Kings that year, but the Kings won the third overall pick.

The Warriors won the second overall pick.

篮网队4号签、76人队5号签、快船队6号签、活塞队7号签、森林狼队8号签、公牛队9号签、猛龙队10号签、黄蜂队11号签、火箭队12号签、雄鹿队13号签、开拓者队14号签。

However, he didn't feel there was anything wrong with it. He had been in the NBA for two years, and it would be strange if there hadn't been any changes.

Just like how his team got the Cavaliers' 11 first-round pick, he didn't think it would be a top-five draft pick. With James gone, the Cavaliers are unlikely to choose to tank, at least they won't intentionally lose games, and they certainly won't actively raise their draft position... or try to trade the draft pick back.

Compared to the 10 draft, which had little to do with them, he was more interested in the fun that the Cavaliers had in store.

Today, Mo Buk and Jamison, who were benched for two games, spoke out, demanding that the Cavaliers trade them after the season ends... Every day brings new surprises, it's incredibly exciting.

In the evening, Yi Shui, Curry, and Chalmers got together to play fighting games. While Curry lost and was waiting for his turn, he was scrolling through the news. As he was scrolling, his mouth opened wide and he gagged.

Yi Shui and Chalmers both curiously leaned over to take a look... Chalmers was also shocked, and Yi Shui, even though she remembered it, felt a chill.

Delonte West's scandalous affairs have been exposed...

On the evening of the 12th, the Knicks faced the Cavaliers in Game 4 of their series on the road.

The fighting spirit and energy that the Cavaliers displayed the night before last are nowhere to be seen.

In the last game, the Cavaliers returned to their home court and spent two days adjusting, regrouping and actively motivating the team. They completely excluded Mobvoi, West, and Jamison from their tactical system, and didn't even put them on the active roster. They built a super strong defense around O'Neal and James, which was stronger than in any other game this season.

But even after playing like that, they still lost, and their confidence was completely gone.

Add to that Mo Buchuan and Jamison's public calls for a trade after being benched for two consecutive games, and West's indescribable scandals... If he still has fighting spirit and energy after all this, he really needs to see a psychologist to see if something is wrong.

James didn't seem interested in the stats tonight. He played two and a half quarters, scoring 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-of-16 shooting, before being substituted and not returning to the court.

But Yi Shui played the entire third quarter...

18投10中，其中三分球4中2，加上8中8的罚球，拿到30分7板2助攻2抢断1盖帽，打卡下班。

首节26比19、第二节24比17、第三节36比18，三节打完，尼克斯队以86比54领先骑士队32分！
This time, the Knicks' bench players prevented the Cavaliers from narrowing the gap in the final quarter, and even extended their lead to 25-23.

The Knicks thrashed the Cavaliers 111-77, sweeping them 4-0 in the series, extending their playoff winning streak to eight games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year!
After the final whistle blew, Yi Shui received a system notification.

He said he was the MVP:

G1得分：41比34，G2得分：45比41，G3得分：45比35，G4得分：30比20，合计161比130，目标1完成。

You led your team to a 4-0 sweep of the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Congratulations on receiving the reward: Burst Power +1, your Burst Power has increased from 94 to 95.

Congratulations on receiving the advanced reward: 1 Premium Blind Box.

"imperial power:
你已率队在季后赛击败骑士队，恭喜获得奖励：随机身体素质点1个……恭喜获得身体素质点：体力+1，你的体力由93提升至94（天赋上限由96提升至97）。”

Midway through the third quarter, the score difference had actually reached more than twenty points, and the Cavaliers had already surrendered. However, Yi Shui still played the entire third quarter because he only had 23 points at that point, while his total score in the previous three games was 131 points...

He and D'Antoni exchanged glances but didn't communicate. D'Antoni then substituted him back in, but after playing for 10 minutes and hitting a three-pointer to bring his score to 30, he didn't shoot any more.

This mission was far easier than Yi Shui had imagined.

Despite the Cavaliers' numerous problems, their roster is solid, and Mike Brown's coaching has its merits.

Just like in Game 3, when James and O'Neal played with all their might, combined with the top-ranked role players in the league, their defense was absolutely terrifying.

If Mo Buchuan and Jamison step up at the right time to score, Yi Shui thinks that even if they have 26 points on second-chance points in a single game, they might still lose.

Unexpectedly, the opposing team had internal conflicts from the very beginning of the series, and it wasn't the kind of open argument. Mo Buk, West, and Jamison even stopped talking and refused to communicate until they were benched and put on the inactive list, at which point they started to cause trouble...

Yi Shui thinks that James played really well in his first game back at home, he didn't even hold onto the ball anymore and actively cooperated with O'Neal.

However, proactively delegating authority and actively cooperating should not be something that is only done when the playoffs are in danger... Take this as a lesson!
...

The Knicks vs. Cavaliers series was a thrilling affair, generating a flood of news and generating an explosive amount of discussion.

But apart from Game 3, which was a close contest, the games themselves were generally uneventful, with the Knicks dominating the Cavaliers by nearly 80 points in all four games.

Even after the series ended, the discussion remained high, with many interesting things happening during that time.

The gossip surrounding West is actually a niche topic, and very few people dwell on it.

Most people are more interested in the game itself and the specific reasons for the Cavaliers' internal strife.

In terms of the games, the Knicks averaged 104.25 points in 4 games, while the Cavaliers averaged 84.75 points. The Knicks' total net points difference reached 78 points, with an average net point difference of 19.5 points per game.

This reminds people of that invincible combination from 9 years ago...

In the 00-01 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers averaged 103.5 points per game in 4 games, while the Spurs averaged 81.25 points per game. The Lakers had a net score of 89 points, or an average net score of 22.25 points per game.

Reporters in Los Angeles expressed their regret in their columns—if Embiid had just taken one more shot, the average point difference would have reached 20 points.

The claim that he can score with just one shot might seem like bragging, but when applied to Yi Shui in this series, no one finds it wrong.

In 4 games, Yi Shui averaged 25.5 field goal attempts, making 13.75 of them; 6.5 three-point attempts, making 3 of them; and 11 free throw attempts, making 9.75 of them... for a total of 40.25 points per game!
Yi Shui became the 6th player in NBA history to average 40+ points per game in a single series!
前5位，贝勒1次、logo男1次、巴里1次、伯纳德-金1次、乔丹……5次。

詹姆斯这次系列赛数据也很好，合计130分32板31助攻9抢断8盖帽，场均32.5分8板7.75助攻2.25抢断2盖帽。

But compared to averaging 40+ points per game, the so-called all-around ability seems to be of no use.

Of course, the most important thing is the bright red 4-0 scoreline.

Guided by New York media, when fans mentioned Yi Shui's average of 40+ points per game in this series, the only legend they could think of was Michael Jordan, not the previous four names.

The New York Times headline read: "The Emperor, on par with the gods!"

The Cavaliers' internal strife is a constant source of amusement, with something new every day. Even after the playoffs are over, the topic remains a hot one.

On the other side of the River E, the day after the series ended, on the morning of the 13th, he returned to New York with the team. The Cleveland players were indeed a bit irritable; they felt that if they left any later, someone would bomb the airport...

Back home, he saw that many media outlets were giving extensive coverage to the Cavaliers' internal strife. He felt that these reporters were quite knowledgeable. At least on the Cavaliers' fan forum, most of the posts were related to the infighting, criticizing this person and cyberbullying that person, with no focus on the outcome of the game.

Some even claimed that Jamison's first team to join was the Knicks, sparking conspiracy theories that the Knicks sent Jamison to sabotage the Cavaliers.

Yi Shui has opened his eyes again; there are actually people who believe this nonsense!

However, it's not wrong to say that Jamison disrupted the Cavaliers' chemistry. If Jamison hadn't gone to the Cavaliers and O'Neal had stayed healthy and performed well, the Cavaliers would definitely be a 60-win team, and they would be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

But it was James and the Cavaliers who wanted him; it wasn't the Knicks and Wizards who held a knife to Gilbert's throat and forced him to trade.

When the trade was first completed, Cavaliers fans were incredibly arrogant, saying they had gained another All-Star. Now, they're calling Jamison a high-paid, low-performing role player and shooter...

After browsing Cavaliers news for a while, Yi Shui closed the webpage. There was no need to pay attention to opponents who had already been defeated. Whatever happened afterward was none of their business. In the next few years, they would only care about the Cavaliers' record next season at most.

After taking a shower, Yi Shui changed into a white outfit and opened a blind box!

"You used the premium blind box... Congratulations on receiving the reward: Iron Body (Special Skill)."

"Iron Body: Joints, muscles, ligaments, and other parts are significantly strengthened, and if effective treatment is received after an injury, the recovery speed is greatly improved."

Yi Shui raised his chin, tightened his neck, and his expression became like Er Kang's.

He's opened so many blind boxes, and gotten quite a few good stuff, but none of the rewards he's ever gotten have been as good as this!

Is this a reward befitting LeBron James' long career? That's incredibly awesome!

(End of this chapter)