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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
Many NBA games often see plans change faster than anticipated.
Mike D'Antoni didn't expect Pau Gasol to get into foul trouble, and Van Gundy likewise didn't expect his second unit to commit so many turnovers.
After the Cavaliers got off to a relatively perfect start, Van Gundy showed a confident expression.
In crucial games, he even shortened his rotation, essentially playing with seven men.
However, LeBron, who was incredibly accurate with his long two-point jumpers in the first quarter, couldn't maintain his shooting touch, and their meticulously designed Defense also started to falter as the game progressed.
With 3 minutes and 16 seconds left in the half, Van Gundy subbed out Erik Snow, who had failed to distribute the ball effectively, and also Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Jeff McInnis and Dwight Howard re-entered the game, and the Cavaliers consistently maintained their interior mobility.
The New York Knicks still maintained their rotation. Derek Fisher displayed the demeanor of a championship guard.
Regardless of his shooting percentage, he would shoot whenever he got an open look from beyond the arc!
After clanking a three-pointer on the previous possession, Derek Fisher assisted LeBron on a fast-break dunk.
When he received the ball on the baseline, he noticed Clay Lee making the same tactical hand gesture, and Old Fish confidently began to control the tempo again.
With the starting lineup back on the court, LeBron once again moved to the shooting guard position.
At this point, the Cavaliers were still sticking to their zone Defense.
As Lee moved from right to left, using the screens from Kurt Thomas and Amar'e Stoudemire on the high post to reach the left wing.
Tayshaun Prince had already run along the baseline towards the right corner.
According to defensive requirements, LeBron was simultaneously watching the movement behind him and reminding his teammates to delay and help defend.
Newble was also strictly following the coaching staff's instructions.
When Lee received the ball, taking advantage of Amar'e Stoudemire coming up to the three-point line for a screen, he loudly reminded Jeff McInnis to double-team while fighting through the screen.
After putting the ball down with his right hand, Lee moved horizontally with the screen.
Facing Jeff McInnis's early delay, he quickly passed the ball back to Derek Fisher.
The latter, receiving the ball near the right wing, faked a pass to the corner.
As LeBron shuffled backward to cut off the passing lane, Jeff McInnis didn't recover in time, and Derek Fisher adjusted and continued to fire from beyond the arc.
The basketball arced high and swished through the net.
43:54, the lead was back to double digits.
The New York Knicks' rotation unit generally had poor shooting, and this was Derek Fisher's first made three-pointer of the game.
1-for-3, Mike D'Antoni could accept such a performance, and Clay Lee also high-fived Derek Fisher in celebration.
"Defense!"
With their shooting percentage dropping and the deficit widening, the Cavaliers involuntarily began to speed up their offensive pace.
Facing man-to-man Defense, Jeff McInnis quickly passed the ball to Drew Gooden in the right elbow area after crossing half-court.
In the right corner, LeBron first faked a step up to receive the ball, then suddenly back-ran.
Both corners are currently LeBron's sweet spots for outside shooting.
Lee continued to chase, forcing the opponent to run along the baseline.
Dwight Howard, after setting an off-ball screen for LeBron under the basket, actively moved to the lower right side of the hoop, sealing off Amar'e Stoudemire, and turned his back to call for the ball.
Being sealed behind by the opponent, Amar'e Stoudemire didn't force a front-post position, but when Drew Gooden delivered the pass, he simultaneously defended and raised his left arm high.
Near the rim, Dwight Howard, who received the ball, put it down with both hands and leaned into the defender, trying to use the contact.
Squeezing into the paint, Dwight Howard exploded directly, attempting to dunk over the Defense.
After the body contact, Amar'e Stoudemire still hadn't lost his position.
Seeing his opponent jump, he reacted first, firmly pressing his left hand on the basketball.
The two briefly vied in the air, and eventually, Dwight Howard lost control of the ball, as Amar'e Stoudemire completed the block.
"Wow!"
Amidst the cheers, Kurt Thomas twisted back to the basket and secured possession of the ball.
Dwight Howard waved his hand in frustration.
He had indeed squeezed to a position close to the rim.
He was still annoyed while recovering on Defense, feeling that he should have faked a few more times.
Tayshaun Prince received the ball and dribbled across half-court along the left sideline.
Uncontested, he immediately passed the ball to Amar'e Stoudemire at the top of the arc.
After passing the ball, he ran towards the left corner.
At the same time, Lee, who had already arrived at the right corner, accelerated his movement towards the high post.
Derek Fisher made a simple off-ball screen on the right wing and ran towards the corner.
Clay Lee still couldn't shake off his defender and continued to shuffle towards the top of the arc.
LeBron, chasing on Defense, tried to disrupt the handoff, squeezing to Lee's side.
Entangled, they arrived at the top of the arc.
Lee didn't force the catch, but rather topped abruptly and back-ran again.
On the right wing, away from the three-point line, Lee received the pass the moment he shook off his defender.
LeBron followed up on Defense again.
The Cavaliers were forced into a man-to-man Defense, with Jeff McInnis sticking to Derek Fisher, no longer intentionally leaving him open.
"Let's go Knicks!"
Amidst the cheers, LeBron occasionally glanced behind him.
Noticing Amar'e Stoudemire coming up for another screen, he quickly stuck close, trying to squeeze through.
Putting the ball down with his left hand, Lee led the ball forward, leaning into the defender, faking a drive.
As Amar'e Stoudemire set his screen, and LeBron squeezed through, he suddenly stopped short and dribbled behind his back.
Creating space, Lee swayed his body to the right front, while also doing a small In and out.
LeBron subconsciously adjusted his center of gravity, instinctively sliding to the right, but could only watch as Lee changed direction between his legs, using the screen again to completely shake off his defender.
At the top of the arc, near the three-point line, Dwight Howard tried to delay.
While moving, Lee suddenly paused.
The opponent had just stopped his feet when Lee immediately dropped his shoulder and accelerated.
Crashing into Dwight Howard, Lee widened his stride and squeezed directly past the opponent's side.
Lee, holding the ball with his left hand, flew low to the ground, forcefully shaking off the Defense.
He gathered the ball directly in front of the basket, taking a stolen step for a scoop layup!
Dwight Howard's footwork didn't keep up with the rhythm.
Clay Lee shot early, and he instinctively jumped up to block from behind.
The basketball flew towards the backboard.
Dwight Howard, in mid-air, awkwardly extended his left arm.
He didn't touch the ball, but he hit Lee's right forearm.
"Whistle!"
The referee blew his whistle.
The basketball hit high off the backboard and swished through the net, and Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers again.
From the commentary booth, Michaels felt everything happened too fast and instinctively exclaimed:
"Clay Lee's speed is faster than Dwyane Wade's. Without even trying, he can seize these one-on-one opportunities."
Hubie Brown was more concerned about the score.
Observing that Van Gundy had no intention of calling a timeout, he simply commented:
"The moment of truth has arrived for the Cavaliers. They must respond quickly!"
"So far, they've only taken one shot from beyond the arc. To tie this score, besides Defense, their core players also need to score."
Lee, walking towards the free-throw line, looked calm.
His patience had paid off.
43:57, Van Gundy on the sidelines was a bit anxious, yelling to remind LeBron to receive the ball and attack.
The Cavaliers' two big men screened on the baseline.
Running from right to left along the baseline, LeBron popped out to the left elbow area and received the pass.
Although he shook off Lee's chase, due to his previous missed jump shots, LeBron put the ball down with his right hand and curled towards the basket.
Amar'e Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas both collapsed.
LeBron still forced a layup, and the referee eventually called a shooting foul.
Bouncing up and down after landing, Amar'e Stoudemire, who had completed the block, was somewhat displeased and was still explaining to the baseline referee:
"I swear that was a good block! I hit the ball first."
Stepping to the free-throw line, LeBron ignored the shouts of the New York fans behind the basket.
He received the ball and calmly sank the free throw.
His second free throw clanked off the rim. Seeing Amar'e Stoudemire grab the rebound, LeBron immediately went to delay Lee from receiving the ball.
Accelerating continuously along the right sideline, Lee, holding the ball with his right hand, made no fakes, leaning into LeBron as he rushed across half-court.
Derek Fisher lagged in the middle, ready to receive a pass at any time.
Tayshaun Prince spread the floor on the other side, and the big men had already run to the basket.
The Cavaliers, who had retreated in time, had just stopped their feet and completed their matchups.
Near the right wing, Lee also began to slow down.
Setting his defensive position on the three-point line, LeBron lowered his center of gravity and once again guarded in front of Lee, controlling the defensive distance, and focusing on the basketball in his hands.
Noticing the opponent's parallel stance, Lee, who had straightened up after slowing down, immediately changed direction between his legs, quickly lowered his center of gravity, led the ball forward, and accelerated with a dropped shoulder.
On the three-point line, LeBron quickly slid backward to the right, still maintaining distance, strictly guarding against a drive.
Lee, holding the ball with his left hand, slowed down again when he dropped the ball.
Not giving the opponent time to react, he suddenly sped up his dribble, the ball came in front of him, and he suddenly changed direction between his legs.
Just as Lee was about to drive past from the other side, LeBron, whose center of gravity was attacked on his defensive lead foot, forcefully twisted his body and quickly slid backward to the left.
Lee leaned forward, faking a drive, but his right hand suddenly exploded the ball, using the rebound force to take a large step back.
On the right wing, Lee returned to beyond the three-point line and shot with a slight.fadeaway.
LeBron struggled to block, but after continuous adjustments to his center of gravity, he found it difficult to generate force, and ultimately watched the ball fly over his fingertips.
Despite his efforts to control his body, it didn't have much effect.
LeBron, falling through the air, helplessly collided with Lee.
"Whistle!"
Lee took the opportunity to lie down on the floor, sliding near the sideline, and the referee blew his whistle again.
The basketball swished through the net, and cheers instantly echoed throughout Madison Square Garden:
"Wow!"
Clay Lee, spread out in a "T" shape, was pulled up by his teammates.
LeBron, after getting up, immediately looked at the scoreboard.
"What amazing athleticism, Clay's ball-handling is too excellent!"
"LeBron can still make a blocking move. Perhaps all he lacks is game experience."
After saying this, Hubie Brown fell silent, seemingly recalling his experience coaching the Grizzlies.
When Jason Williams first entered the league, he was compared to Lee, but now no one pays attention to the white point guard anymore.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Clay Lee made his free throw, and the shouts echoed through the Madison Square Garden, extending the lead to a game-high 17 points.
With halftime approaching, Van Gundy frowned on the sidelines.
As Drew Gooden and Amar'e Stoudemire both made one of their two free throws, the score reached 45:62.
The Cavaliers' zone Defense did indeed work, affecting Amar'e Stoudemire's finishing.
The Knicks' patience paid off.
Their opponent committed 5 turnovers in the quarter, and they capitalized on fast breaks to secure the victory.
LeBron James walked towards the player tunnel, feeling depressed.
Unlike the Chicago Bulls, turnovers tonight came at a cost.
What made him feel even worse was that the Knicks were constantly shooting threes, yet they still led in rebounds.
Dwight Howard, however, was unaffected by the score difference.
Getting three fouls in the half was within expectations.
The "big boy" even yelled as he walked into the locker room:
"We should also try shooting from the outside, leave the rebounds to me!"
"..."
Returning to his seat, LeBron James said nothing.
If the three-pointers had clanked, the game might have collapsed much earlier.
In the first half, Clay Lee was 9 of 14 from the field, 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, tallying 28 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.
Just as Hubie Brown had said before the game, Lee alone produced more from beyond the arc than the entire Cavaliers team.
Michaels looked at the statistics while offering a brief comment:
"To close the gap, not only do they need to limit the opponent's scoring on Defense, but the Cavaliers also need to respond from the perimeter."
The Knicks were 6 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half, while their opponent only attempted three shots from beyond the arc, all of which missed.
Hubie Brown chuckled as he reiterated his pre-game point:
"With a 17-point lead, if the opponent's outside shooting is off, and given Clay Lee's current form, the game might quickly lose its suspense."
"Most of the points conceded came from transition offense. This is the individual ability of a superstar."
Facing a rookie team with a large lead, the New York fans at the Madison Square Garden began celebrating the victory prematurely.
After the second half began, LeBron James remained calm.
He wasn't in a hurry to score from the perimeter.
In the first possession, using a screen, LeBron James received the ball in the right block, drove with his left hand, and powered past Raja Bell to the basket.
Directly in front of the rim, LeBron James, leaning his body, forced a floater over Kurt Thomas, who came over to help.
The referee blew the whistle, and the ball bounced its way into the basket.
With a chance for a 2+1, LeBron James shrugged his shoulders, patted his chest, and stepped to the free-throw line.
However, the free throw clanked, and Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound.
LeBron James couldn't hold back and muttered a low curse on his way back on Defense:
"Shit!"
Every point was crucial. Watching Lee calmly dribble past half-court, Jeff McInnis, though anxious, could only cautiously control his defensive distance.
Noticing Zydrunas Ilgauskas standing near the left baseline, Lee waved for Tayshaun Prince and Raja Bell to switch positions in the left corner.
Newble followed the baseline, continuing to chase, while LeBron James, after following to the right corner, moved up, maintaining his zone Defense stance.
Clay Lee, who had been lingering at the top of the arc, now switched to his left hand to shield the ball, moving towards the left wing.
Pau Gasol set a fake screen, which didn't change the opponent's interior Defense.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas still guarded the basket.
LeBron James, meanwhile, quickly double-teamed with Jeff McInnis.
Pau Gasol's roll attracted the interior Defense's attention, and Clay Lee immediately passed the ball to Raja Bell in the left corner.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was a bit slow, and despite his efforts to close out, Raja Bell didn't adjust, catching and shooting.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
47:65, the lead continued to grow.
Speeding up the offense again, Jeff McInnis passed the ball early.
On the left wing, LeBron James, with the ball in his left hand, initiated a pick-and-roll with Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Seeing Raja Bell go under the screen, Pau Gasol continued to sag back on Defense.
LeBron James, left open, gathered the ball, adjusted slightly, and missed his jump shot.
The long rebound was picked up by Lee in the paint, and Jeff McInnis immediately committed a tactical foul.
"Boo!"
The New York fans in the Madison Square Garden booed.
At the start of each quarter, the Cavaliers would use fouls to disrupt transition offense, which greatly displeased everyone.
The Knicks attacked, facing the same zone Defense as in the first quarter, and Lee again called for a double screen.
As Lee crossed over to his right hand and accelerated horizontally, Newble decisively came up with a hard hedge.
Tayshaun Prince, who ran to the right corner, was left open, but his jump shot off Lee's pass clanked.
Just as a sigh of disappointment emerged in the Madison Square Garden, Lee grabbed the offensive rebound in the left block, getting in front of Newble and Jeff McInnis.
Watching Lee drive to the basket and start circling, even Dwight Howard couldn't help but break his composure and curse under his breath.
Circling to the right block, Lee suddenly sent a cross-court pass.
Pau Gasol, rolling down, caught the ball with his left hand, pulled his arm to the side, and completed a floater over Dwight Howard, who came over to help.
The referee blew the whistle, and the ball bounced into the basket.
Pau Gasol pumped his fist in celebration.
Cheers erupted again.
At the commentary table, Hubie Brown, sensing the Cavaliers' emotions, again offered a brief comment:
"This is the Knicks' dominance. In recent years, whenever they've led by more than 15 points, they haven't lost a game."
"The lead is getting bigger and bigger, and the game will soon return to Clay Lee's favorite rhythm!"
Just as the veteran coach predicted, the Cavaliers involuntarily entered a "catch and shoot" state.
A simple pick-and-roll, Zydrunas Ilgauskas's free-throw line jump shot clanked.
In a semi-transition offense, Lee again found Tayshaun Prince in the left corner, who finally made a jump shot from beyond the arc.
Using a screen, LeBron James, with the ball in his right hand, drove hard through the middle.
As Lee collapsed into the paint, LeBron James immediately passed the ball to Jeff McInnis on the right wing.
The open three-pointer clanked, and the rebound was picked up by Raja Bell.
Lee, receiving the outlet pass, accelerated past half-court.
Stopping abruptly at the top of the arc, Lee pulled the ball back between his legs, switched to his left hand, and, as Jeff McInnis pressed up, smoothly executed a stylish spin move.
Deceiving the Defense and leading the ball forward, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, regained control, and his drive into the paint immediately attracted the attention of two defenders under the basket.
After a three-step run-up, Lee cradled the ball with his right hand, faked a shot, and before landing, found Pau Gasol on the lower right side of the basket.
Pau Gasol caught the ball and completed a one-handed slam dunk!
"Ah!"
Pau Gasol's loud roar completely ignited the atmosphere at the Madison Square Garden.
As the Cavaliers continued to miss shots, the New York fans cheered louder and louder.
Jeff McInnis, left open, continued his brick-laying performance.
In less than half a quarter, Van Gundy had no choice but to sub in Travis Best.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was also substituted after making a putback layup under the basket.
The big man was having trouble on Defense.
Facing the Knicks' collapsing Defense, LeBron James's drive-and-kick passes all turned into missed shots.
The two players who came off the bench also had the "iron-smith" curse, failing to provide any relief.
In the latter half of the 3rd quarter, aside from a fast-break dunk for two points, LeBron James's other two wing three-pointers continued to clank.
The zone Defense unknowingly turned into man-to-man.
The Knicks launched transition offenses, and under Lee's control, they had multiple scorers, continuously scoring with ease.
The quarter ended 18:32, and by the end of the third quarter, the game had lost all suspense.
63:94. Returning to the bench, LeBron James was silent, and Dwight Howard had lost his smile, his eyes staring blankly.
This was completely different from what he had expected.
When scoring was most needed, LeBron James failed to step up, going 2 of 6 from the field, 0 of 3 from beyond the arc, and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line in the quarter, tallying 6 points.
On the Knicks' bench, everyone was beaming.
The game was easier than expected.
Clay Lee played 30 minutes, shooting 12 of 20 from the field, 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line, accumulating 37 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.
A regular double-double, Mike D'Antoni was very satisfied with it.
As the hype crew came out, Mike D'Antoni symbolically stood up and directed for a bit, then returned to his seat and whispered:
"Zone Defense. It seems our opponent will stick to this game strategy throughout this series."
"Lee, we need to be prepared!"
Lee, who had already changed into his practice uniform, understood Mike D'Antoni's meaning: Tayshaun Prince and Raja Bell might miss open shots:
"Maybe the opponent will also miss. I'm not worried about offense."
Rebounding was what Lee was more concerned about.
After a brief discussion, the two settled down to watch the game.
Time flew by quickly, and when the game ended, the score was fixed at 90:118.
The cheers became particularly piercing.
LeBron James, walking through the losing team's tunnel, had a solemn expression.
Van Gundy, arriving at the scorer's table, felt utterly depressed seeing a smiling Mike D'Antoni:
"This is not the game I wanted."
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)