Champion, please stay!

Chapter 271, page 269: The Strongest Grand Finals Debut!

After 10 years, the Knicks have made it to the NBA Finals again. Tonight, New York will not sleep!
Fans gathered at the basketball mecca and didn't disperse even in the early hours of the morning, celebrating wildly. There were even underground singers performing with megaphones, dance troupes, and many other things that were not to be described, all taking place in public.

Thankfully, it wasn't September 2008, when the subprime crisis was completely out of control, New York was full of people flying around, protests broke out every day, and City Hall imposed a curfew for half a month, prohibiting people from going out on the streets from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

Yi Shui and his teammates were busy in the stadium until the early hours of the morning. The game ended at 10:12 p.m., and they didn't leave the stadium together until after midnight to head to the owner's estate on the island...

The next morning, before 8 o'clock, Yi Shui woke up at home and ate breakfast made by her mother.

Although he went to the Dolan family's estate in the early hours of the morning, after having drinks with the management and his teammates, he got into a car sent by his agency and went home.

Let alone 23 years old, even if he were 33 or 43, Yi Shui would find it hard to imagine the scene of him running off to fool around when his parents came to visit him.

Not long after breakfast, Guozi sent him a batch of the soon-to-be-released fourth-generation phones, and as the spokesperson, they discussed the workflow for tomorrow night.

He kept one for each of his coach, teammates, trainers, and security personnel. He and his parents packed them into gift boxes, kept one for himself, and gave the remaining dozen or so to his mother. His parents used them, and some were taken back as gifts for relatives and friends when they returned from their trip.

His parents still have a lot of money; they could easily buy a hundred or two of these. But buying them as gifts for himself is definitely different from giving them as gifts from the brand. His mother cares about appearances, so he definitely has to satisfy her.

Around noon, Yi Shui was "left behind" by her parents again. The elderly couple had arranged with a tour guide the day before to take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Feeling dejected, he called his trainer to ask him to prepare some food and arranged to train with him in the afternoon.

After the Eastern Conference Finals, they have three days to prepare. The NBA Finals will start on June 10th. They have one less day of rest than the Suns, but the game will be played at their home court. The Suns have to fly four or five hours to get there, so they might actually have a slight advantage.

After making the call, Yi Shui opened the system.

Let the veterans fade away!
You defeated the Celtics' Big Three in the Eastern Conference Finals, bringing an end to the championship run for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen in their current careers. Goal accomplished.

Congratulations on receiving the reward: Kevin Garnett's defensive trait conversion skill: Mid-lane Barrier.

Mid-range Barrier: 1. When defending, if you are positioned in the middle, your ability to anticipate the ball's trajectory when switching between the strong and weak sides improves; 2. When assisting teammates in double-teaming an opponent with the ball in the mid-range, your awareness of who the double-teamed opponent will pass to improves.

He received this award after the game last night, which is very suitable for his physical condition.

The first benefit is that he is tall, has a long wingspan, and moves quickly, which gives him the potential to become a midfield interception master like Garnett. In addition, this benefit also helps him anticipate passing ability, so he may be better than Garnett in this aspect... However, he is not good at defending like that. He is better at one-on-one defense at the top of the arc, collapsing to protect the rim, and helping defend wing shooters after pick-and-rolls in the high post.

However, he will most likely follow that defensive path in the future, but right now he doesn't have the team environment to develop that defensive style, nor does he have the conditions to practice and train it... nor the time.

The second effect is quite direct. When double-teaming, he can judge the opponent's passing target. After thinking about it, he realized that the success rate of directly intercepting the ball is low. However, if he can predict the opponent's passing target, he can have a faster reaction time and is more likely to make a timely intervention.

Yi Shui had to admit that being matched with Garnett's skills was a better fit for him than being matched with Pierce or Ray Allen's skills...

...

At noon, Yi Shui had a nutritious lunch at Madison Square Garden. In the afternoon, he continued to practice Lan Pang's backhand backhand turning and jumping techniques, gorilla jumping and left and right shoulder-sinking turns, and big fat hook.

In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, those few low-post back-to-the-basket moves played a crucial role in changing the course of the game. In the next game against the Suns, Stoudemire, Jordan, Frye, Lopez... those guys, except for Lopez, didn't seem to know how to defend back-to-the-basket moves very well.

In the first six games of the Western Conference Finals, Gasol averaged 20.3 points. When Kobe needed a break, Gasol would usually initiate the offense from the low post, and his one-on-one success rate was quite high.

Besides practicing his back-to-the-basket game, he also practiced passing the ball when double-teamed in the low post. He wasn't good at this, so he usually just went straight up in the low post or lobbed the ball to the far outside. But it's always better to practice beforehand than not at all.

As evening approached, Clark told him that the Suns had arrived in New York.

Yi Shui replied, "They've arrived so early. Aren't they worried about being harassed by the British?"

During the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks had two days of rest when they went to Boston for the first two away games. They would prepare at home and then go to Boston after practice and lunch the morning before the game.

Clark laughed, "Even if they get harassed, they'll come right away. This is New York!"

Yi Shui was quite curious about what magic New York held in the hearts of Americans, but he was too embarrassed to ask, as it would be impolite.

Curry has been playing here for less than two years and already considers himself a New Yorker; Clark has shown the same tendency in less than a year.

At the end of training, Walsh approached Yi Shui and brought him some good news that, while not particularly significant, was nonetheless pleasing to hear…

The next morning, before heading to the arena for training, Yi Shui went to City Hall Park to meet up with Dolan, Walsh, D'Antoni, Curry, and others. They then went to the City Council building to attend the City Hall's routine press conference.

The mayor announced that June 6th of each year will be designated as 'New York Emperor Day', and the federal government has approved the application to open temporary visas and increase direct flights so that Chinese fans can attend the finals in person.

Yi Shui heard from Walsh and Dolan that the current mayor, Bloomberg, although a member of the Republican Party, has a political leaning towards the blue. He is one of the few New York City mayors in decades who has a great passion for art and sports. He is also the chairman of a large conglomerate that has consistently ranked in the top ten of the Forbes rich list, and the owner of media outlets such as Bloomberg and the Financial and Economic Forum.

Organizing a basketball season and making his birthday a holiday serves two purposes: satisfying his personal love for basketball and making money.

During his more than ten years as mayor of New York City, Bloomberg acquired vast tracts of land and real estate in the greater New York area. Especially after the dot-com bubble, 9/11, and the subprime mortgage crisis, walking through the streets and suburbs of New York, Bloomberg had a stake or direct ownership in at least eight out of ten hotels, guesthouses, farms, and operating estates. With the opening of temporary visas, the mayor was the one who profited the most.

Yi Shui thought of Trump. This Jewish man in front of him had gone to great lengths to amass wealth during various economic crises, yet he was still like a greenhorn in front of Trump.

After attending the press conference at City Hall, Yi Shui rushed back to Madison Square Garden to attend the launch event for the Nike Emperor II sneakers. After training in the afternoon, he met with Boss Jordan and Guo Zi to attend the launch event for the Guo 4... On his second rest day after making it to the finals, he didn't stop for a single day, but fortunately, it didn't affect his preparation.

This season, the Knicks only played the Suns twice, but their preparation for those games was much more thorough than when they played the Cavaliers and Celtics, because the Suns' tactical system was left behind by D'Antoni...

After a 3-day break, it's June 10th, the first day of the finals!

The eyes of sports fans across the United States are focused on New York.

The Knicks had a louder media presence, overwhelming their opponents, but the Suns had a stronger fan base.

Having been in the NBA for fourteen years and a superstar in people's hearts for six, Nash has reached the Finals for the first time, carrying the expectations of longtime fans.

Lakers fans are a bunch of 'heartless men'. Just a few days ago, they were Knicks supporters, but as soon as the Eastern Conference Finals ended, they started supporting Nash.

Lakers fans may not like the Suns, but they have a particular fondness for Nash.

Moreover, if the Suns win the championship, then the Lakers will only have lost to the NBA champions.

On the Yi River side, not only is there no 'veteran superstar' to back them up, but there are also Wade fans, James fans, and traditional powerhouse Celtics fans standing on the opposite side.

In other words, the New York media has a louder voice, and the city has a greater influence. If a new generation of superstars were to lead the team against the Suns in the Finals, their support would likely be crushed.

At 7:40 p.m., the visiting Phoenix Suns entered Madison Square Garden first.

Nash was incredibly excited to be on the Finals floor for the first time, but the atmosphere still surprised him a bit. He recalled a playoff game against the Jazz nine years ago when he was still with the Mavericks.

The fervent atmosphere at this basketball mecca surpasses even that of the Energy Solutions Arena!
The basketball mecca has become what it is today because of that man. When the home team enters the arena, Nash, like Wade and James, only has eyes for one person: his mentor's new protégé—The Great Emperor Brook!

After the opening ceremony, the atmosphere between the two teams before the match was quite harmonious.

This is the first time since the end of the offensive basketball era in the mid-90s that run-and-gun teams have met in the playoffs, and there is a sense of mutual respect between the players on both sides.

Both teams were developed by D'Antoni.

Furthermore, Nash's side felt that playing the Knicks would be easier than playing the Celtics; Yi Shui's side also felt that playing the Suns would be easier than playing the Lakers... Neither of them considered the other an easy opponent, and they viewed the situation purely from the perspective of matchups and playing styles.

The Suns lacked players like Yi Jianlian and Curry, who could score consistently in one-on-one situations from the high post and beyond the three-point line. Facing the Celtics' exceptional fast-break defense and ability to cut off play in the middle, the Suns struggled to keep up, and the Knicks barely managed to unleash their fast-paced style.

The Knicks will also struggle in half-court offense against the Lakers' big three, as they don't have a strong frontcourt of Stoudemire, Jordan, Lopez, and Amundson to deal with Gasol and Bynum.

Both sides have eliminated the opponent that the other feared more, so naturally they both feel that the finals will be easier.

After exchanging pleasantries with his opponents, Yi Shui went to the other side of the technical table to greet the current players and legends who were present.

Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian are both here tonight; they plan to watch the finals before returning home.

Wade and Duncan also came, which surprised Yi Shui a bit. These two were the ones he and Nash eliminated in the first round.

Iverson also returned from Europe to watch the game live. However, in the second row behind Iverson's seat, a few middle-aged fat men dressed in a street style came out. Iverson introduced them to Yi Shui... Yi Shui gave them face, shook hands, put his arm around them, and took a photo together.

As for 23 and 24... neither of them came.

Among retired superstars, the biggest name, the biggest name in the entire history of North American sports—Michael Jordan, sat and chatted with Ewing...

There were also some celebrities and socialites; Yi Shui saw several of them whom he knew well.

After greeting people he knew and didn't know, and chatting with his parents for a bit, Yi Shui returned to the bench and looked at the opponent's playoff stats on the big screen.

西决7场比赛中，纳什场均20.3分13.3助攻；斯塔德迈尔场均25分7板；小乔丹场均8分9.7板3.3盖帽；希尔场均9分5.3板4.7助攻；理查德森场均15分……全队场均116分。

Nash had the best performance for the Suns in the Western Conference Finals, but throughout the entire conference playoffs, Steve Nash had the best performance, averaging 30.5 points per game in 16 games, which was the highest scorer in this year's Western Conference playoffs besides Kobe Bryant.

Yi Shui felt once again that Cole had lost his mind.

纳什也盯着大屏幕，看的是易水东决的数据，7场比赛场均32.1分12.3板4.3助攻2抢断1.4盖帽……场均出手24.7次命中11球。

He also watched every game of the Eastern Conference Finals live and saw Yi Shui's shooting percentage rise from less than 40% at the beginning to nearly 45% in the end, which was quite amazing. He thought that even Kobe Bryant couldn't have done that against the Celtics.

他记得，易水第二轮打詹姆斯场均40+10、首轮打韦德场均28+8+6。

His fists clenched unconsciously; the excitement of stepping onto the finals floor for the first time turned into pressure.

Having played this season so far, in his eyes, the future of Yishui is already synonymous with the demon, bird, god, snake, Buddha, and shark.

If we don't seize this opportunity to win the championship, things might change in the future...

After the pre-match preparation time ended, the starting lineups of both teams came onto the field.

Phoenix Suns: Nash, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, DeAndre Jordan
Knicks: Duhon, Curry, Yi Shui, David Lee, Chandler.

Hughes was advised by Cheeks to be placed on the bench to match up against the opposing backup guard, Dragic.

In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Suns launched a 35-25 comeback in the final quarter to complete the comeback, with Dragic playing a crucial role, scoring 13 points in 7 minutes in the final quarter, making him a player to be wary of.

At 8 p.m., the referee blew the whistle to start the game. DeAndre Jordan defeated Chandler to win the jump ball, and the game began.

The Suns go first!
Yi Shui stayed in the high post to keep up with Stoudemire, David Lee retreated to the basket, Chandler and Curry were on the wings, and Duhon went to meet Nash.

Nash and Jordan initiated the offense with a pick-and-roll.

Yi Shui and Duhon defended the pick-and-roll well, and David Lee timed his defense well. Curry's collapse, Chandler's wing help on Richard, and Yi Shui's help defense on Stoudemire after the pick-and-roll were all executed very well.

However, the Suns still created an opportunity. Hill received the ball on the sideline and crossed it. Nash passed the ball and took advantage of Yi Shui's help defense on Stoudemire. He circled around to the top arc, received the ball, and made a long two-pointer!
It only took 10 seconds from when Nash received the ball to when it went into the basket!

During the offensive and defensive transition, the ball fell from the basket, bounced on the ground, Curry caught the ball, turned around and stepped out of bounds to pass it to Duhon, who initiated a fast break.

Stoudemire and Jordan quickly retreated to the basket. Yi Shui ran to the frontcourt to receive the ball and plunged into the basket. The Suns' twin towers pressed up to block the defense. Yi Shui went to the left, where David Lee received the ball. Hill moved up to block the driving route. David Lee protected the ball with Hill and passed it to the free-throw line. Curry followed up and received the ball at the free-throw line and made a jump shot.

Eight seconds! The Knicks made the shot in just eight seconds.

In the first 18 seconds, both teams scored a goal!
Commentators from various TV stations were all exclaiming "Wow!" During their pre-match analysis, they had predicted that the pace of the game would be very fast, but this first attack was still faster than they had imagined.

Moreover, neither team abandoned defense. The Knicks' defensive formation, collapsing help defense, and rotating to cover gaps... clearly showed that they had done very thorough defensive preparation.

Although the Suns' defense was not good, their strategy was very clear: the twin towers collapsed, Hill covered the wings, and Nash and Richardson also chased down three-pointers on the perimeter.

However, the Suns used pick-and-roll drives and passes to push the Knicks' defense below the free-throw line, creating perfect high-post shooting opportunities for Nash, which neither Yi Shui nor Chandler could cover.

Yi Shui, on the other hand, used his high offensive threat to hold back the defense of the opposing twin towers, creating opportunities for David Lee and Curry to connect.

Hubie Brown of Time Warner Cable Sports commented: "The Knicks and Celtics played seven playoff games, and the Suns and Lakers played seven playoff games. In the eyes of the Knicks and Suns players, the opponent's defense was like toilet paper, which could be punctured with a little force."

As Hubie Brown said, in the eyes of the players on the court, compared to the Lakers (Celtics), the defense they were facing was as fragile as paper, and they could easily create shooting opportunities.

The two teams immediately launched into a frenzied offensive. Although the speed of their attacks in the later rounds was not as exaggerated as the first round which only lasted 18 seconds, the pace was still astonishingly fast.

The shooters for both teams weren't in good form in the first quarter. The Suns took eight three-pointers but only made two, and the Knicks took six three-pointers but also only made two. Even so, the score was 30-29 at the end of the first quarter.

The Suns, playing on the road, outscored the Knicks, who only made 5 of 8 free throws, thanks to their 6-for-7 free throw shooting.

整个首节，尼克斯队25投11中、太阳队27投11中，尼克斯队有3次进攻走上罚球线、两次罚球是加罚，太阳队有2次进攻走上罚球线、3次罚球是加罚。

In other words, the two teams had 57 offensive possessions and 23.5 possessions in the first quarter, which is almost two possessions per minute! The average time for one offensive possession was 12.6 seconds!
During the first quarter break, for the first time since becoming head coach, D'Antoni had the idea of ​​actively slowing down the pace.

However, he first consulted with Mark Jackson, who advised him to play at his own pace and not do things he wasn't good at like Rivers did. He dismissed that idea and let his team confront the opposing team head-on.

He didn't know what would have happened if he had chosen to slow down the pace, but by not slowing down the pace and relying on Yi Shui, Chandler, and substitutes Swift and Gibson to continuously attack the paint, he kept the score close, which was a good result.

During the break, D'Antoni made lineup rotations and tactical adjustments.

Trailing by only one point due to less accurate free throws, which wasn't considered a disadvantage, he didn't lose his temper. Instead, he calmly considered the situation and decided against continuing to play a fast-paced, run-and-gun style of play. Instead, he brought in a lineup more suited to fast-paced, half-court offense: Chalmers, Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Chandler.

As D'Antoni expected, the opposing team substituted in a lineup of Dragic, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, and Frye.

Even the Suns, who have the fastest offensive pace in the league this season, couldn't keep up that pace in the second quarter after a full quarter of that kind of attack.

At the start of the second quarter, David Lee and Yi Shui took turns posting up to initiate the offense, coordinating with Hughes at the top of the arc and Chalmers on the sideline to receive shots and make passes, thus gaining a clear advantage.

The Suns primarily relied on pick-and-roll offense between Dragic and Stoudemire, along with Stoudemire's mid-range face-up isolation plays, which put them at a disadvantage compared to Yi Shui and David Lee's isolation offense.

The Knicks' feared breakout performance from Dragic didn't materialize tonight.

While Dragic did have two breakout performances in the second round and the Western Conference Finals, scoring in double figures in a single quarter, those were the only two standout games. In the entire 16 Western Conference playoff games, he averaged only 7.5 points and 2.7 assists, making him just an average substitute.

However, the Knicks coaching staff did not feel that there was anything wrong with using Hughes, the best defensive guard on the team, to guard Dragic. They believed that it was better to be prepared than not, and that Hughes did a good job of guarding Dragic and prevented him from having an explosion. Hughes, who once again stepped onto the Finals stage, played very hard tonight.

After a few minutes of play, the Knicks took a 43-39 lead over the Suns. The Suns called a timeout to make early substitutions, bringing in Nash and Barbosa, which significantly boosted their offensive firepower and launched a comeback. However, D'Antoni also made lineup changes, bringing in a small-ball lineup of Chalmers, Curry, Hughes, David Lee, and Yi Shuichi, which withstood the Knicks' counterattack!
In the final moments of the first half, the Suns had some luck. DeAndre Jordan grabbed an offensive rebound just outside the right side of the paint. There wasn't time to pass, so he turned and hooked the ball towards the basket, and it went in. He also drew a foul from Curry who rushed to grab the ball, and made the free throw.

When the long whistle blew, the players from the two teams who had been battling it out for half a game couldn't help but chuckle as they looked at each other. DeAndre Jordan's incredible shot, made by sheer luck, left not only the Knicks speechless but also the Suns completely taken aback.

首节29比30、第二节27比26，两队半场战至56比56平！
Despite the fact that the role players were only in average form, they still managed to score a very high number of points.

纳什半场打了18分钟，拿到14分7助攻，斯塔德迈尔半场打了19分钟，拿到16分4板2助攻；

易水半场打了21分钟，拿到17分4板3助攻，库里半场打了15分钟，拿到9分3助攻，大卫-李半场打了19分钟，拿到13分5板。

Both teams' All-Star players are in top form!

After halftime, the two sides switched positions and began the second half of the match.

After a short rest, both teams launched another rapid attack!
D'Antoni didn't adjust his playing style; he only emphasized the details.

Their defense in the first half was solid, but they just couldn't stop the ball; their offensive tactics were also executed very well, and there was nothing they could do if their role players missed their shots, since the opposing wing shooters were even better, but they still missed their shots.

It all comes down to whose star player has more staying power and whose role player has better touch!
Unfortunately, it was the Suns' wing shooter who first found his rhythm.

In the first half of the third quarter, Big Q and Barbosa hit three three-pointers, and the combination of inside and outside play opened up a fast-paced whirlwind. They scored 18 points in 6 and a half minutes, and took a 5-point lead at the halfway point, 74-69. The score was 18-13 at half the quarter!

After the official timeout, the Suns continued their offensive onslaught, sinking two more three-pointers in the second half of the quarter, scoring 14 points in 5 and a half minutes.

For the Knicks, Yi Shui and Curry stepped up!

They each made a three-pointer, and Hughes, who came off the bench, hit two catch-and-shoot shots from the free-throw line. Swift, also off the bench, drew a foul on a second-chance opportunity and made both free throws. Yi Shui also had a 2+1 play after driving to the basket... The Knicks scored 15 points in 5 and a half minutes, preventing the opponent from widening the gap.

After three quarters, the Suns led the Knicks 88-84 by 4 points!
During the break, Yi Shui glanced at the third-quarter data in the chief assistant coach's hand.

对面单节25投12中，其中三分球9中5，加上4中3的罚球拿到32分，他们这边，第三节就他和库里进了三分，全队25中10，其中三分球6中2，加上8中6的罚球拿到28分。

He proactively approached D'Antoni and took possession of the ball!

...

Yi Shui brought Chalmers, Hughes, Webster, and Chandler onto the field.

On the opposing team, Nash and Stoudemire, along with Barbosa, Q, and Lopez, entered the game.

Yi Shui looked towards the opposite bench.

During the Eastern Conference playoffs, he never felt that the team lacked roster depth.

The point guards are Curry, Duhon, and Chalmers; the shooting guards are Hughes and Webster; the small forwards are Barnes; the power forwards are David Lee and Gibson; and the centers are Chandler, Ben Wallace, Birdman, and Swift. With him, the 12-man rotation has one player left over. One of Swift, Gibson, Birdman, or Ben Wallace will have to rest, depending on the needs of the game.

The Celtics, with their nine-man rotation, certainly don't have the same depth as them.

The Heat have a lousy roster, relying mainly on Wade and Conley.

The Cavaliers have a better roster, but even if there's no internal strife within the Cavaliers, he's not intimidated by their impressive-looking roster. The Cavaliers' role players will eventually become players with very limited functions; having more players won't help much, as it will only ensure their stamina.

But he felt it tonight.

On the opposite bench sat Dragic, Richardson, Hill, Jordan, Frye, James Jones, Dudley, and Amundsen in a suit!
It has a greater depth and more unique features than theirs!
Gentry can adjust the lineup in various ways and found a five-man team that works well together and is in good form!

Gentry may even have prepared for the possibility that some outside receiving pitchers might not be in good form, by putting Big Q back on the active roster after his poor performance in the Western Conference Finals and benching center Amundson, who played an important role in dealing with the three big men in the Western Conference Finals.

However, he did not have any negative emotions because of this. In the two years since he entered the NBA, he has always done it this way. If the role players do not perform well, he will take on more responsibility!

The break is over, and the final quarter begins.

The Suns continued their relentless attack!
Barbosa and Big Q were on fire tonight, they surged in the third quarter, and of course they had to keep it up in the final quarter!

In the first three and a half minutes, the Suns went on a terrifying 5-for-7 shooting spree, scoring 12 points!
However, the advantage was not significant, because the opposing team, Yi Shui, hit a pull-up three-pointer and a pull-up long two-pointer over the big Q, then attracted a double team at the high post and passed the ball directly to the basket, where Chandler dunked over Stoudemire and completed a 2+1 play. In addition, Hughes made a layup after driving into the paint during a fast break.

The Knicks also scored 10 points!
It was the Suns' turn to attack again. Nash and Stoudemire set a pick and roll, and the ball was passed to Lopez, who was cutting in from the left baseline.

Lopez drove in for a flying dunk... only to be slapped away by Yi Shui, who rushed in from the free-throw line! A huge block, ball and all!

Lopez fell to the floor, and the ball went out of bounds.

The referee indicated that the ball was out of bounds, and the ball ultimately touched Yi Shui's hand, giving possession to the Suns.

Gentry calls a timeout!

He had hoped to capitalize on his team's momentum in the third quarter and build a clear lead, but to his surprise, they broke through, and the opposing team's Emperor became unstoppable!
At 100 to 94, their advantage was only two points!
Nash and Stoudemire, looking at Yi Shui, shared the same thoughts as Gentry—they had just finished beating one Kobe, and now another one was coming? And another Kobe who could block shots just like DeAndre Jordan.

The time for unleashing their full offensive potential was over, and Gentry reluctantly substituted DeAndre Jordan, Hill, and Richardson back in, while Nash and Stoudemire continued playing. Now it was time to play a half-court offense and defense.

Although Nash is in good form, he is already 36 years old. Thinking about the wasted seasons last year and the season before that, Gentry's heart is bleeding...

On the other side, D'Antoni, ignoring Yi Shui's sweaty body, rushed onto the court and gave Yi Shui a bear hug as soon as the timeout whistle blew.

Mustache: I knew it! Handing the difficult problem to the Emperor was the right thing to do!
D'Antoni anticipated that the opponent would continue their offensive onslaught from the third quarter, and that their shooting performance tonight was not enough to withstand either set plays or run-and-gun offense... They could only take a gamble and leave it to Yi Shui to decide.

He had no choice. If he had the opposing team's lineup of role players, he wouldn't rely on Yi Shui for everything, even though he knew Yi Shui was good at adapting to situations.

In the regular season, he usually solves most problems on his own, only relying on his teammates very rarely, but this is the playoffs! The finals!
Finally, they got through this phase. After D'Antoni and Yi Shui hugged, they made substitutions, bringing on a lineup of Curry, Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Chandler.

It's time for a head-on bayonet charge!
After the timeout, the Suns went on offense.

Yi Shui switched to defend Stoudemire, and as he expected, the opponent didn't have much time left on the shot clock. Hill received the serve and passed it to their best player in singles.

David Lee crouched under the basket, Chandler was around the free-throw line, and Stoudemire, facing Yi Shui's defense, opted for a crossover dribble and a mid-range shot to the left... Yi Shui followed closely, the interference was in place, and Stoudemire's mid-range shot missed!
Seeing Chandler dribble in and grab the defensive rebound, Yi Shui pushed off the ground and charged forward!

When 'Charge Ahead' is triggered, it allows you to initiate a counter-attack at the fastest speed, ignoring previous losses!

The Suns' defense wasn't great tonight, but it was well-organized and stronger than during D'Antoni's era, especially in transition defense and blocking key areas. They relied on their strong interior athleticism and did a good job of simply retreating to protect the rim.

But by this point in the game, they had stopped attacking aggressively. Unexpectedly, the Knicks continued to push forward. Hill and DeAndre Jordan did not immediately try to delay them in the middle. When Yi Shui rushed to the three-point line in the frontcourt, Nash, Richardson, and Stoudemire were so surprised that they all rushed to block him.

Curry, who was following up on the wing, noticed the movement on the other side, quickened his pace, and rushed into the three-point line when Yi Shui was blocked. He received a lob pass from Hughes, who was making a quick run on the right side, and scored a layup!

The Knicks narrowed the gap to 4 points, 96-100!
Relying on the individual abilities of star players to widen the score gap failed, and the opponent even took the opportunity to launch a counterattack... Gentry on the sidelines had his arms crossed and almost tore his suit with them, and his furrowed brows had created deep wrinkles on his forehead.

While D'Antoni and Gentry weren't exactly teacher and student, Gentry did learn from D'Antoni for several years, acquiring not only the run-and-gun offense but also the ability to read his emotions on his face.

However, Nash remained calm on the court and did not become impatient as the score difference narrowed. After receiving the inbound pass, he signaled his teammates to slow down and directed them to take their positions while advancing the ball.

Looking at the calm and composed demeanor of the Wind Child... Elementary school student: This is what a point guard should be like!
Led by Nash, the Suns players, who had been affected by being blocked and forced to call a timeout and by fast breaks, calmed down and launched a fierce half-court attack!
In terms of roster structure and the playmaking ability of core players, the Knicks are inferior to the Suns. However, Nash can only help his teammates suppress the negative emotions of being blocked and countered, but he cannot stop the Knicks' morale from soaring due to Yi Shui's block and defensive counterattacks!

Facing the Suns' strong offensive, every Knicks player showed no fear and played with great intensity, taking shots when necessary and charging straight into the paint when appropriate.

Moreover, although their teamwork wasn't as good as the opposing team's, they had the strongest star player on the court!

When faced with a problem, Yi Shui would dribble the ball high up the court and, if things got tense, he would drive straight for the basket...

In just over seven minutes, the Knicks and Suns traded baskets, with the Knicks outscoring the Suns 15-17, keeping the score close.

With one minute remaining in the game, it was the Knicks' turn to attack.

Currently on the court, the Knicks' roster is: Curry, Duhon, Hughes, David Lee, Yi Shui; the Suns' roster is: Nash, Barbosa, Hill, Stoudemire, Jordan.

Yi Shui dribbled the ball and attacked, breaking into the paint and passing to the wing.

The Suns played very hard on defense, and Stoudemire rushed out to block Curry as he received the ball.

Curry raised his hand... and Stoudemire flew away!

Curry hadn't even moved his feet. He dribbled the ball, took a step to the left, and came to a 30-degree angle. He jumped and launched a three-pointer over Nash, who was rushing out to meet him...

The more critical the moment, the calmer and bolder the elementary school students become!

Having determined that Xiao Bawang would definitely block the shot, I remained calm, shook off the opponent, and moved aside. Facing Nash's defense, knowing that the opponent couldn't block it no matter what, I boldly took the shot without fear.

Curry hits the crucial three-pointer!

The Suns called a timeout with 33 seconds left. The score was 117-114, and the opposing team had narrowed the gap to 3 points!

Gentry replaced Nash, Stoudemire, and Jordan with Barbosa and Big Q.

On the other side, D'Antoni handed the playboard to Cheeks, who then substituted Curry, Hughes, Barnes, Yi Shui, and Chandler.

The Suns inbounded the ball in the frontcourt, and after running down the shot clock to just 7 seconds, Nash initiated a pick-and-roll with DeAndre Jordan, successfully pushing the Knicks' defense below the free-throw line.

Nash was blocked in the middle by Yi Shui and couldn't get around to the free throw line, but Stoudemire moved to the left side of the free throw line in time and received a pass from Barbosa on the sideline!
However, Stoudemire didn't have a clear open shot, and Curry quickly covered him, sticking close to Stoudemire's lower body!

With little time left on the shot clock, Stoudemire had no choice but to jump under pressure and attempt a mid-range shot... but it was too short!
Barnes was unafraid of physical contact and firmly boxed out DeAndre Jordan, while Chandler moved in to protect the defensive rebound over Jordan's head.

With 11 seconds left, D'Antoni didn't call a timeout!

Yi received the ball at the mid-court line and quickly advanced to the right 45-degree angle outside the three-point line. Standing in front of him was Stoudemire!

Even Little Tyrant couldn't do anything about it; James Jones and Hill were both absent.

Nash, Barbosa, and Big Q—none of them can match Yi Shui.

Only he could come!
On Yi Shui's side, there was no impatience just because the defender in front of him was Stoudemire. Instead, he steadily protected the ball, and after a few seconds... 'Snake Heart (Pseudo)' was triggered! High Focus Mode!
With 3 seconds left on the countdown, Yi Shui quickly dribbled the ball to the left... Stoudemire lunged to the right, and Yi Shui quickly pulled the ball back, taking a half-step to the right as he caught it.

Nash left Barnes, whom he had switched to defend, wide open and rushed forward ahead of time... only to be ignored again.

Yi Shui jumped immediately after landing and launched a three-pointer...

The long whistle blew halfway through the ball's flight towards the basket.

Yi Shui's shot was just like a training session; he completed the entire crossover, sideways pull, and jump motion with perfect rhythm, and it went in cleanly!
With regulation time ending and the score tied at 117-117, Yi Ku hit three consecutive three-pointers in the final 50 seconds, forcing the game into overtime!

Watching Yi Shui and Curry jump up and hug each other... even Nash, who had experienced countless pains and torments, was about to have his mentality explode after these two rounds.

The two second-year students on the other side made two crucial three-pointers over him.

The key point is that he anticipated the opponent's strategy and covered all the gaps, but the effect he had was... to give the opponent a chance to tie the game and celebrate?

On the sidelines, a flushed D'Antoni excitedly pumped his fist, shouting, "We haven't lost! We haven't lost yet!"
He looked at his former protégé, and thought, "How pitiful... His old partner Gentry is still too cautious."

When the gap was narrowed to 3 points, a timeout was called to substitute Hill and improve the offense.

Hill did a decent job defending Yi Shui tonight, at least he didn't let Yi Shui shoot more than 60%... It's better than not scoring at all. In the final defensive play, Stoudemire was stronger against Yi Shui.

...

A few minutes later, overtime began.

The Suns brought in a lineup of Nash, Barbosa, Hill, Stoudemire, and Frye.

The Knicks brought back their starting lineup of Curry, Duhon, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Chandler.

Stoudemire beat Chandler in the jump ball, but Frye, who replaced Jordan to create space, missed a three-pointer after receiving a close pass from Hill.

David Lee grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to Du Hong... Yi Shui charged forward!
Having played 45 minutes in regulation time and taken 27 shots (excluding free throws), Yi Shui returned after a few minutes of rest, completely exhausted.

He doesn't want to end up like Pierce in the second half of the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where he repeatedly missed shots in isolation plays.

He chose to focus on the "Charge at the Forefront" skill and keep charging forward!
The Suns didn't anticipate Yi Shui's choice of tactics, and even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered. Stoudemire played 42 minutes in regulation time and didn't rest in the second half, so even he couldn't keep up with Yi Shui's charge!

Although Yi Shui slowed down after rushing out of the center circle, only Barbosa could keep up with him. Nash and Hill were also tired... Yi Shui rushed to the frontcourt to receive the ball, used his left hand to hold off the close-up Barbosa, and made a layup with his right hand!

In overtime, the Suns not only couldn't keep up with the pace of their retreat, but their offensive efficiency also plummeted. In their first eight possessions, they committed one turnover and made only two of their seven shots, one of which was a three-pointer. In addition, Stoudemire drew a foul and made both free throws, scoring seven points.

Yi Shui, seizing every opportunity to charge forward, made all three of his counter-attack shots! He also drew a foul from substitute player Q, making both free throws and scoring 8 points, one more than the entire Suns team!
In addition, Curry missed a three-pointer over Nash, and David Lee scored two points on a putback...

At 10:33 PM, Nash took a step back and lay down for a three-pointer against Yi Shui, but it missed completely, ending the game.

When the final whistle blew, the fans in the stadium cheered wildly!

The camera on the big screen focused on... Allen Iverson, who was clapping and laughing on the sidelines.

屏幕上贴着两个数据，一个是2001年总决赛G1艾弗森的数据，常规时间打了47分钟，39投16中、其中三分球7中2，加上7中7的罚球，拿到41分；加时赛5分钟全满，2投2中、其中三分球1中1，加上2中2的罚球，52分钟出场时间拿到48分，总决赛首秀单场得分历史……第二。

One is Yi Shui's stats tonight: In regulation time, he played 45 minutes, shooting 15 of 27, including 4 of 9 three-pointers, plus 9 of 10 free throws, for a total of 43 points; in overtime, he shot 3 of 5, including 0 of 2 three-pointers, plus 2 of 2 free throws, for a total of 8 points. In 50 minutes of playing time, he scored 51 points, the highest single-game score in the history of the Finals debut!

Yi Shui broke the NBA Finals opening game scoring record set by Allen Iverson in 2001 against the Shaq-Kobe duo!

This was also the first time in his career that he scored 50+ points in a playoff game!

除了易水的51分，库里总决赛首秀也很暴躁，也刷新了他季后赛单场得分纪录——22投9中、其中三分球12中5，加上5中5的罚球，拿到28分6助攻。

纳什今晚打了43分钟，23投11中、其中三分球11中5、加上7中7的罚球，拿到34分4板11助攻；斯塔德迈尔38分，都成了无用功！

With a score of 10-7 in overtime, the Knicks rallied to defeat the Suns 127-124, securing a winning start to the NBA Finals!

(End of this chapter)