Check out my new fanfics.
Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
Please give it a go đ
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The Playoffs are often hailed as the ultimate test of a star player's quality, with only a portion of players maintaining their regular season performance, and even fewer exceeding their regular season statistics.
Role players also have their moments of brilliance.
In fact, for some highly capable players, they might just be lacking an opportunity.
Duncan, plagued by plantar fasciitis, saw his offense falter as the game progressed.
If his condition wasn't clear in Game 1, then by the second half of Game 2, Gregg Popovich had to face reality.
During the break at the end of the third quarter, at Madison Square Garden, New York fans happily celebrated their team's victory.
79:89. Although the score difference wasn't large, Tim Duncan's performance of 1-for-4 from the field and a mere 2 points in the quarter signaled the San Antonio Spurs' impending doom!
Duncan, who had rested for less than two minutes at the end of the third quarter, silently listened to Gregg Popovich's instructions while looking at the tactical board:
"Manu, you take control of the game. We have the ability to catch up!"
Besides routinely criticizing Parker, Gregg Popovich also frequently criticized Manu Ginobili.
However, upon hearing his coach's words, Manu Ginobili, though somewhat surprised, still nodded seriously.
He indeed had the ability to be the tactical core.
In the Western Conference Playoffs, Duncan continuously dominated weaker opponents, but by the time of the Conference Finals, Manu Ginobili's performance became even more crucial.
Gregg Popovich didn't say much.
After a brief instruction, he stood up and clapped his hands.
Due to the excessive noise in the Madison Square Garden, he could only clap loudly and encourage:
"Come on, believe in yourselves, we can do it!"
Watching his players take the court, Gregg Popovich on the sidelines showed a look of anticipation.
With three All-Stars, even if two went cold, they still had options.
At the ABC commentary desk, Hubie Brown was still praising Lee's performance in the third quarter:
"The San Antonio Spurs' help Defense and double-teaming didn't have much effect. Clay Lee knows where the ball needs to go."
"If the New York Knicks' three-point shooting were a bit better, they could have scored even more points."
Clay Lee scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover in the quarter, shooting 6-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Michaels felt that the San Antonio Spurs' Defense was good, at least the New York Knicks' three-point shooting hadn't caught fire yet.
Noticing Duncan was still on the court, he added:
"If Tim Duncan's form picks up, I believe the San Antonio Spurs still have a chance."
The San Antonio Spurs' lineup changed to one big and four small players.
Robert Horry, who performed well from three-point range in the first half, re-entered the game, and Parker was replaced by Udrih.
As a Rookie, Udrih had gotten some playing time in both games, but at this moment, this Rookie was still a bit nervous, occasionally looking at the coaching staff on the sidelines.
Manu Ginobili, with his flowing hair, received permission and became even more excited.
He had seen big stages before.
This was his opportunity.
The New York Knicks now brought in their rotation lineup, adapting to the opponent's change, with Derek Fisher and Amar'e Stoudemire re-entering the game, also playing one big and four small.
"Let's go Knicks!"
Amidst the cheers, Udrih quickly defended Derek Fisher, who had dribbled past half-court.
Clay Lee looked at Bruce Bowen, who had become his defender again, and immediately cut horizontally from the right wing.
Under a double screen at the high elbow, Lee easily received the ball when he arrived at the left wing.
Duncan naturally switched defensively immediately, and at the same time, Bruce Bowen continued to chase him.
The moment he received the ball, Lee faked left and drove right.
Tim Duncan didn't expect Lee to drive into a crowd, misjudging the Defense and being blown by in one step.
Bruce Bowen had just stopped his feet, trying to cut off Amar'e Stoudemire's rolling route, but seeing Lee charging over, he quickly restarted.
At the left elbow position, Lee, flying close to the ground, suddenly pushed the ball to change direction before the opponent could stick to him, then immediately gathered the ball.
Bruce Bowen had just stuck to him when he was knocked backward.
Lee used the rebound force to take a step and shoot a running floater.
Although Duncan, twisting his body for help Defense, rushed to defend again, Lee's one-handed floater, drifting backward to the left, was not significantly affected.
The seemingly casual shot made everyone on the San Antonio Spurs look at the basket, watching the basketball swish through the net.
79:91. Clay Lee continued his excellent touch from the third quarter, continuing to score.
The shouts in the Madison Square Garden grew a few decibels louder.
Clay Lee, retreating on Defense, looked at Manu Ginobili beside him and whispered:
"Dude, are you going to take over the game? If you don't explode now, we'll be back in San Antonio next game."
With Parker off the court and Duncan struggling, the San Antonio Spurs' offensive options were obvious.
Ginobili slapped Lee's arm away, responding somewhat defiantly:
"12 points, don't think you've won yet!"
The two pulled and tugged on the left wing.
The San Antonio Spurs were also in a 1-3-1 alignment at this time, with Duncan at the free-throw line, Robert Horry on the right wing, and Bruce Bowen still in the right corner.
Derek Fisher's expression was focused, showing his true colors as a defensive stopper, occasionally making body contact with the Rookie at the top of the arc.
Old Fish naturally knew that with the San Antonio Spurs positioned like this, it was definitely a two-on-two situation on the left side, so he performed to his heart's content before Udrih passed the ball.
After some pulling, Manu Ginobili came to the three-point line to receive the ball, and soon Duncan stepped up to set a screen.
As Manu Ginobili dribbled behind his back, using the screen to try and shake off Lee, Duncan noticed Lee squeezing through the screen and Amar'e Stoudemire dropping back on Defense, so he immediately accelerated and popped out.
When Manu Ginobili delivered the bounce pass, he suddenly realized he had made a mistake.
Clay Lee didn't continue to chase him, but instead suddenly followed the ball and pounced towards Duncan.
The pass from his right hand was a bit low, forcing Duncan to bend over.
Before he could raise the ball, Lee, who had rushed up to defend, immediately swiped at the ball.
The basketball was cleanly swiped away.
Duncan reacted quickly, trying to regain possession, but Lee was one step ahead, tapping the ball towards Duncan's foot again.
Duncan instinctively lunged for the ball and charged directly towards the sideline.
He stumbled but did manage to grab the basketball, but the referee immediately blew the whistle, signaling a foot out of bounds.
Raja Bell and Tayshaun Prince clapped and celebrated.
Rebounding might be an issue with the small lineup, and Tim Duncan's turnover gave them another chance to extend their lead.
When Derek Fisher, who received the ball on the baseline, dribbled past half-court again, the New York Knicks also ran the same play.
As if looking in a mirror, as Raja Bell ran to the left corner, Lee received the ball on the left wing, and Amar'e Stoudemire at the free-throw line again stepped up to set a screen.
Facing Lee's extremely quick in-and-out dribble, Duncan again chose to slide his feet for a deep hedge.
Despite making the correct defensive choice, Lee, with the ball in his left hand, still managed to get half a step ahead.
Bruce Bowen followed closely behind, no longer looking at Amar'e Stoudemire rolling to the basket.
When Lee drove near the baseline, quickly slipping past the baseline while enduring the Defense, Manu Ginobili in the corner also began to collapse.
Near the right baseline, Lee suddenly stopped, swung his shoulder backward, then accelerated a second time, instantly shaking off Duncan, and circled to the top of the key.
With a large number of players congested on the baseline, as Lee delivered an assist on the move, Amar'e Stoudemire, who had come directly in front of the basket, received the ball and slammed it down!
"Ah!"
Amar'e Stoudemire, after completing the dunk, yelled at Duncan.
Facing such a provocation, the usually stoic Duncan couldn't hold back and immediately pushed him.
Facing the relentless and chattering Amar'e Stoudemire, Duncan, who was pulled away by the referee, regained his composure and simply responded:
"Who are you?"
That simple sentence immediately made Amar'e Stoudemire feel somewhat broken.
He had been selected to the All-Star team this season and considered himself a big star.
79:93. The lead was extended again.
Gregg Popovich on the sidelines shouted for Manu Ginobili to receive the ball.
The enraged Amar'e Stoudemire quickly made a mistake.
On the right wing, Duncan's solid screen prevented Lee from squeezing through.
Seemingly focused on Duncan, Amar'e Stoudemire realized too late that Manu Ginobili, with the ball in his left hand, shoulder down and accelerating, had already charged into the paint.
Amar'e Stoudemire, trying to slide his feet, couldn't keep up with the opponent's speed.
Watching Manu Ginobili charge up with three steps, he instinctively pulled him.
"Screech!" The referee immediately blew the whistle, and the basketball bounced twice off the rim and out.
At the very beginning of the fourth quarter, Amar'e Stoudemire, who received his fourth personal foul, punched the air in frustration.
Mike D'Antoni immediately called over veteran Dikembe Mutombo, who took off his jacket and happily bumped fists with Amar'e Stoudemire as he walked off the court.
Dikembe Mutombo, who had focused on garbage time this season, was naturally happy to get playing time early.
As he stood on one side of the paint, he even joked:
"Don't pass me the ball! I'm too old, and I might get blocked by Duncan."
"..."
Duncan ignored the veteran, still focused on the ball.
Manu Ginobili made both free throws, and the San Antonio Spurs' offense took less than 10 seconds.
As the game progressed, both sides' tactics became increasingly simple and brutal.
Clay Lee quickly cut horizontally along the top line, failing to shake off Bruce Bowen when he ran to the right wing, then directly ran to the right corner, slipping along the baseline again.
Derek Fisher passed the ball to Tayshaun Prince in the left elbow area.
The latter received the ball, first faked a pass, and Bruce Bowen, who had chased him to the corner, subconsciously moved to press him.
Lee, who had stopped, then accelerated again, moving upward, instantly shaking off the Defense.
He received Tayshaun Prince's pass near the sideline on the left, faced Bruce Bowen's tight Defense, pivoted on his left foot, turned his back, released the ball with his left hand, and accelerated his breakthrough along the baseline.
After continuous sudden stops and starts, Bruce Bowen, who was still trying to slide defensively, found his feet heavy, watching Lee charge to the basket.
Although Duncan promptly moved up to help defend, Lee, who was airborne, faked a shot and made a true pass.
Dikembe Mutombo, under the basket on the right, received the pass and immediately slammed it in with both hands!
The San Antonio Spurs sped up their offense again.
Udrih passed the ball early, and Manu Ginobili on the right wing used Duncan's screen, changed direction after pushing the ball, and drove straight to the basket with the ball in his left hand.
Facing Dikembe Mutombo's retreating Defense, Manu Ginobili, who had broken into the paint, realized that Lee was also chasing him from behind.
He increased his stride, jumped, and laid up against the Defense.
Under the double-team, Manu Ginobili also faked a shot and made a true pass, finding Duncan unguarded in the right block area, who received the ball and made a mid-range jump shot!
After a quick baseline inbound, Derek Fisher again passed the ball to the rapidly cutting Lee.
When he received the ball on the left wing, Tayshaun Prince immediately ran from the left elbow area to the left corner, creating space for Lee.
Realizing that Robert Horry had given up his matchup and was trying to double-team early, Lee immediately released the ball with his right hand and drove forcefully with a crossover step.
When Udrih at the top of the arc also began to collapse towards the basket, Lee, who had broken into the paint, suddenly slowed down.
He stopped abruptly, leaned against Bruce Bowen behind him, then stepped forward.
After gathering the ball, Lee quickly completed a floater with his right hand!
At this time, five San Antonio Spurs players had gathered near the paint, and everyone could only watch Clay Lee toss the ball into the basket.
"Wow!"
The somewhat risky shot again made the New York fans cheer loudly, and Michaels on the commentary stand exclaimed loudly:
"Incredible, how did he do that? The perfect offensive position, perfectly avoiding the help Defense."
Hubie Brown also found it difficult to give a reasonable explanation, but the Old Coach had rich experience and simply replied:
"This is talent. Some players can sense changes on the court, which is hard to describe in words."
"Perhaps Clay Lee has a special intuition. He knows where he should shoot from."
83:97, both sides continuously scored +2, and the game became lively again.
Manu Ginobili almost became the core guard, receiving the ball first on every offense.
As he followed his opponent to the free-throw line, Lee realized that the opponent was going for a hand-off play at the top of the arc and called for Tayshaun Prince to switch Defense early.
Robert Horry on the right wing ran off-ball towards the elbow area to set an off-ball screen for Manu Ginobili.
Ginobili popped out to the free-throw line and indeed used the screen to shake off Lee.
But Tayshaun Prince switched Defense in time and immediately squeezed next to Manu Ginobili, who was receiving the hand-off.
As he switched to holding the ball with his left hand, while Robert Horry ran to the left corner, Manu Ginobili, leaning against the Defense, drove straight to the basket with the ball.
He had a change of pace while moving, slowing down then accelerating again.
Manu Ginobili finally fooled Tayshaun Prince's Defense, driving hard to the basket and drawing a shooting foul.
Lee stepped forward and patted Tayshaun Prince.
Their defensive switch was tacit.
This was almost a successful Defense, but Manu Ginobili's breakthrough rhythm was somewhat hard to grasp.
Making both free throws again, Manu Ginobili couldn't help but let out a low growl and pumped his fist in celebration.
On the defensive end, seeing Dikembe Mutombo receive the ball at the top of the arc, Duncan turned his head and saw Lee also squeezing to the free-throw line, and he also reminded Robert Horry to switch Defense early.
Tayshaun Prince ran to the right elbow area.
The off-ball screen quality was not high, but Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen collided.
Seizing the opportunity, Lee moved incredibly fast, came to the top of the arc to receive Dikembe Mutombo's hand-off pass, and without any adjustment, shot a fading jump shot!
Duncan's block was screened off by Dikembe Mutombo, and cheers came from his ears, making him punch his fist in anger.
The same tactic, different cores, would lead to different games.
In the next few minutes, the game almost turned into a personal offensive show for Manu Ginobili and Clay Lee.
Using a double screen on the top line, Ginobili moved horizontally with the ball in his left hand, shaking off Lee's entanglement, and drove straight to the basket from the left wing.
Raja Bell retreated from the right corner, but Manu Ginobili still got to the free-throw line.
With two more free throws made, the San Antonio Spurs' morale was greatly boosted, and Gregg Popovich on the sideline also perked up, constantly shouting reminders to his players to retreat on Defense.
The same tactic, a double screen on the top line, Duncan's costly big hedge was forcefully squeezed past by Lee, who had the ball in his left hand.
Duncan, gritting his teeth and chasing hard, followed Lee around the baseline, while Bruce Bowen squeezed beside Dikembe Mutombo to cut off the passing lane.
Facing the big man's single Defense, Lee, who had reached the right near-baseline position, suddenly stopped abruptly.
While leading the ball backward, he pivoted on his left foot, accelerated, and turned around.
The moment he scooped the ball with his right hand, Lee, who had stopped and started abruptly, again squeezed past Duncan's side.
After three big steps, he drove up, palmed the ball with one hand, and made a reverse layup under the basket on the left!
The New York Knicks fans were still cheering.
After a quick baseline inbound, Udrih dribbled past half-court and quickly gave the ball to Manu Ginobili with a hand-off outside the three-point line.
Raising the screen position, Duncan stood far from the three-point line.
Manu Ginobili pushed the ball, changed direction, switched to his left hand again, and then accelerated in a straight line.
Although Lee, defending on the weak side, chased back in time, Dikembe Mutombo's hedge did not work, and Manu Ginobili actually charged faster and faster.
Seeing the top-line Defense shaken off, Derek Fisher retreated to the basket in time and committed a clean foul, pulling Manu Ginobili down again.
"Boo!"
The opponent's fierce resistance caused the New York fans to boo loudly.
No one expected that the Argentinian would step up in the final quarter.
Manu Ginobili's two made free throws also revitalized the San Antonio Spurs' bench.
Although it was still a double-digit difference, everyone was cheering loudly.
The San Antonio Spurs players regained their fighting spirit, but they still couldn't defend effectively.
Duncan started defending the top-line catch, constantly entangling with Dikembe Mutombo.
To avoid turnovers, Derek Fisher signaled Tayshaun Prince to move horizontally to the left elbow area to receive the ball.
Raja Bell slipped along the baseline, and Clay Lee also started from the right corner.
The two crossed screens, and Manu Ginobili simply switched Defense.
Accelerating to pop out, Lee did not completely shake off Manu Ginobili behind him.
When he received the pass in the left block area, the moment Tayshaun Prince popped out, Lee made a simple and brutal straight-line acceleration.
He instantly cut from the free-throw line into the paint.
Although the San Antonio Spurs players followed and collapsed, only Duncan under the basket made an effective Defense.
Before Lee could gather the ball and jump, Duncan directly stepped forward and wrapped him up, cleanly giving away two free throws.
Cheers erupted again in the Madison Square Garden, and Hubie Brown on the commentary stand looked pleased:
"If it were any other team, perhaps the San Antonio Spurs would have narrowed the score, but unfortunately, they are facing Lee's team."
"Gregg Popovich should perhaps give the ball to Manu Ginobili earlier. The San Antonio Spurs still have a chance when they return home."
When the opponent responded frantically, the New York Knicks' tactic was to give the ball to Clay Lee.
The game turned into continuous free throws for both sides, but when Parker returned, the New York Knicks also substituted Derek Fisher and Dikembe Mutombo.
Pau Gasol and Kurt Thomas re-entered the game.
Mike D'Antoni never gave Parker and Derek Fisher an opportunity to match up.
Swipe Defense could not limit the Frenchman.
Manu Ginobili, facing the chase Defense of Raja Bell and Tayshaun Prince, still drove hard to the basket, and his drive-and-kick also sent Duncan to the free-throw line.
Pau Gasol, who re-entered the game, quickly made an impact.
In localized 2-on-2 situations, continuous pick-and-roll plays with Lee wore down Duncan.
Repeatedly hedging and recovering on Defense, Duncan could only secretly gasp for air as he watched Pau Gasol pop out to the left block area and make a jump shot.
When the San Antonio Spurs passed the ball around the perimeter, and Manu Ginobili clanked a contested three-pointer from the left wing, Lee, who collected the long rebound, didn't rush to attack, and loudly reminded:
"Hey, they're tired!"
Manu Ginobili, retreating to half-court, subconsciously cursed under his breath as he watched Lee shake his head and become even more excited.
Anyone would be exhausted after a fast-paced offense and Defense, constantly attacking the basket for most of a quarter.
Pau Gasol, hearing Lee's prompt, immediately raised his screen position.
Far from the three-point line at the top of the arc, Pau Gasol set his feet, and Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, immediately dribbled behind his back.
Parker squeezed through the screen, and Lee, with the ball now in his right hand, quickly performed an in-and-out dribble, leaning into the defender and swaying outwards.
Thinking Lee was going for a strong drive, Parker desperately slid to his left.
Just as he caught up to his side, Parker saw Lee suddenly spin, instantly shaking off the Defense.
The massive movement made the New York fans gasp in unison. Duncan was forced to raise his Defense position, and seeing Lee send the ball forward with his left hand, he instinctively bent down to swipe at the ball.
"Oh!"
While moving, Lee quickly pulled the ball back with his right hand, immediately freezing Duncan in place.
"OH! ClayGod!"
Watching Lee shake off the Defense and drive straight to the basket, Michaels also shouted.
In a blink of an eye, he rushed into the paint.
Directly in front of the basket, Lee jumped with both feet, ignoring Robert Horry who had retreated to the basket, and slammed the ball down with a powerful arm swing, straight into the Defense!
When he was in mid-air, Robert Horry already regretted it.
His jump height was insufficient, and under the impact, he felt as if he had been hit by a car, and he flew backward horizontally.
Landing on his side, Robert Horry's head hit the floor again.
First, he heard the basket explode, and then the crazy shouts of the fans echoed in his ears.
Clay Lee, having completed the dunk, hung on the rim briefly.
After landing, he glanced at Robert Horry lying motionless on the floor, pointed to the floor with both hands, and shouted loudly at the camera:
"This is my house!"
Robert Horry fell hard, and Duncan, up top, also limped and signaled for a timeout.
At this moment, all the New York Knicks players rushed over to high-five Lee and celebrate.
Like the fans in the Madison Square Garden, everyone was shouting loudly, venting their excitement.
Gregg Popovich's heart sank when he saw Duncan stumbling, but fortunately, the big man immediately said after returning to his seat:
"Don't worry about my body, the game isn't over yet, I don't want to come off to rest!"
Duncan, panting heavily, first asked about Robert Horry's condition, then grabbed a water bottle and drank deeply.
Regardless of the outcome, he just didn't want to surrender in such a frustrating manner.
Manu Ginobili also nodded in agreement.
The invisible Parker didn't say anything, but his resolute eyes showed his attitude.
At the commentary table, Michaels was still relishing the explosive dunk:
"That was insane! Unbelievable, Clay Lee still has such abundant stamina as the game approaches its end!"
"He seems tireless, constantly attacking the basket."
Hubie Brown also noticed this.
The later in the game it got, the higher Lee's efficiency:
"It's a bit of a shame that we rarely see Clay Lee perform like this in the regular season these past few years. Even though he set a career high this season, I believe this isn't Lee's limit."
Noticing that the San Antonio Spurs only brought in Mohammed and didn't pull their starting lineup, Hubie Brown smiled again:
"I like the San Antonio Spurs' competitive mentality. The series has just begun, they need to toughen up!"
Duncan, bothered by plantar fasciitis, showed a clear decline in his movement speed.
Although Bruce Bowen responded from beyond the three-point line, on the return possession, Tayshaun Prince seized a mismatch opportunity, posting up Parker in the right block and drawing a foul to go to the free-throw line.
Manu Ginobili's performance continued, and Pau Gasol also began to hit hard against the struggling Duncan.
With 58.6 seconds left in the entire game, the San Antonio Spurs' persistence paid off.
Pau Gasol had just been scored on by Duncan with a strong turnaround move in the paint the previous possession, but this time, after helping on Defense against Manu Ginobili's drive and landing, he showed a pained expression.
Soon, Mike D'Antoni called a timeout, and Pau Gasol returned to the bench to continue moving his left foot:
"It should be fine!"
The team doctor was still examining him, concluding that there was a high probability of no structural damage, but thinking the game was about to end, the coaching staff felt they were losing out tonight.
On the other side, Gregg Popovich was in a good mood, proactively bringing in the bench lineup, and the team doctor also began to examine Duncan's injury.
This season, Duncan and Pau Gasol both suffered from the same injury.
With too much playing time tonight, the plantar fasciitis seemed to show signs of recurrence.
As the game clock ran out, Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers.
105:121, the New York Knicks won by a large margin, and the series score also came to 2:0.
Manu Ginobili exploded in the 4th quarter, going 1-for-3 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, scoring 11 points in the quarter alone;
Playing 40 minutes in the game, Manu Ginobili scored 28 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, 2-for-5 from beyond the arc, and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line.
Tim Duncan played 41 minutes, scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 3 turnovers, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Role players also performed well, with the San Antonio Spurs shooting 11-for-23 from beyond the three-point line, only gradually going cold in the second half.
As he walked towards the player tunnel, Duncan did not show any signs of dejection.
The fact proved that the game was still playable, and next up were three consecutive home games!
Lee, who was being interviewed on the sidelines, was draped in a towel, and there was clear sweat on his head.
Michelle Tafoya held up the microphone, smiling as she congratulated him:
"What a fantastic game, Clay Lee, congratulations! You are just two wins away from your 7th championship in your career!"
The two were old acquaintances, and Lee, in a good mood, also joked:
"If I don't see you on the Finals stage next year, it will definitely be ABC's loss."
Tafoya chuckled.
She planned to have a baby next year, so she would likely not be able to be the sideline reporter for the Finals next season:
"Lee, we noticed that Pau Gasol suffered an injury at the very end of the game. Will this affect the upcoming road games?"
"In the playoffs, no team is completely healthy. Sometimes, the game is also a test of willpower."
"Pau feels good, and we will win the series."
Lee naturally wouldn't reveal any injury information.
At this time, everyone likes to pick on the weak, and they usually hit hard when facing injuries.
Next up were consecutive road games, and many New York fans were worried that the series wouldn't return to New York.
They stayed in the Madison Square Garden after the game, shouting loudly:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Playing 41 minutes, he scored 53 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers, shooting 19-for-28 from the field, 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
After only taking 11 shots and slacking off in the first half, Clay Lee completely exploded in the second half, delivering a double-double that the New York fans loved to see.
As he walked towards the player tunnel, Lee once again gave his shoes to a young fan on one side, causing screams.
He then simply threw his jersey to the stands on the other side.
"Ah!"
Amidst the screams, the jersey was caught by a white chubby girl, which made many fans instinctively turn their gaze to the white compression shirt Lee was wearing.
Two security guards quickly approached Lee.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, two burly men, one black and one white, quietly asked:
"Lee, will the series return to New York?"
New York fans hoped to witness the championship at home, and Lee was very aware of this:
"I do prefer to receive the award at home, but for the championship, we will end the game as soon as possible."
At the post-game press conference, most sports reporters were more concerned about the injuries suffered by both teams.
Lee's statistics excited the New York Media, and as for the hyped-up fans, they gathered outside the Madison Square Garden, shouting repeatedly:
"Knicks In Four!"
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)